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8 May 2026
Three men sentenced to federal prison for illegal firearms possessionRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, Georgia: Three men, including a man charged after a Savannah mall shooting, have been sentenced to federal prison.
The sentences before U.S. District Court Chief Judge R. Stan Baker were announced by Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. They include:
- Aujawan T. Hymon, 21, of Savannah, sentenced to 41 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and fined $1,200 after pleading guilty to Illegal Possession of a Machine Gun. Savannah Police officers responded July 2, 2025, to the Oglethorpe Mall after gunshots were reported. Three people were wounded during the exchange of gunfire, including Hymon, who was seen by witnesses and on surveillance cameras carrying a pistol. The footage also showed Hymon discarding a gun in a mall trash can where investigators later recovered the weapon, a .40-caliber Glock Model 22, modified with a “Glock switch” to convert it into a machine gun. Hymon, who was on state probation, did not appear to have fired the pistol.
- Antonio Owens, 30, of Savannah, sentenced to 39 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Owens was a passenger in a vehicle stopped for traffic violations in June 2025 when Savannah police found a pistol in his possession.
- Ishaq Williams, 44, of Savannah, sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Savannah police officers found a pistol in a backpack belonging to Williams during a March 2024 traffic stop.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Getting guns out of the hands of felons, and keeping illegal machine guns off the streets, is fundamental to making our community safer,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “We applaud the work of our law enforcement partners for their vigilance in investigating these cases.”
The Savannah Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the cases, which were prosecuted for the United States of America by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Makeia R. Jonese, Bradley R. Thompson, and Darron J. Hubbard.
Three Men Charged with Attempted Smuggling of 89 FirearmsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Assistant Director in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., and Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”), Bryan DiGirolamo, announced today the arrest of MALIK BROMFIELD, FAIZAN ALI, and KAMAL SALMAN, who are charged with multiple offenses relating to the transporting of 89 firearms, including at least 17 that were reported stolen, and attempting to smuggle those firearms to Canada. BROMFIELD, ALI, and SALMAN were presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy in White Plains federal court, and detained.
“As alleged, Malik Bromfield, Faizan Ali, and Kamal Salman were caught transporting more than 80 guns, including short-barreled rifles and stolen firearms, to smuggle them out of the country,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “It is critically important to New Yorkers and Americans to keep illegal weapons out of the hands of criminal actors. The trafficking of dangerous weapons will be relentlessly pursued by this Office.”
“These three defendants, including two foreign nationals, allegedly endangered our communities as they attempted to smuggle 89 firearms—17 of which were stolen—into Canada,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “The FBI is committed to working with our federal and state law enforcement partners to take illegal guns off our streets.”
“Illegal firearms trafficking threatens the safety of our communities and fuels violent crime,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bryan DiGirolamo. “ATF New York’s Hudson Valley personnel were proud to assist the FBI-led investigation alongside the New York State Police to help prevent dozens of firearms, including stolen weapons, from reaching the streets.”
As alleged in the Complaint:[1]
On or about May 7, 2026, personnel with the New York State Police (“NYSP”) initiated a traffic stop of a white Ford Explorer (the “Subject Vehicle”) after observing the vehicle commit traffic violations while driving on State Route 17 near exit 90. Upon approaching the Subject Vehicle, troopers encountered BROMFIELD, ALI, and SALMAN. After asking the occupants to exit the vehicle, the troopers observed that the occupants gave inconsistent and evasive accounts in response to NYSP questioning. During the interview, ALI consented to a roadside search of his person, during which a trooper recovered an expired Pakistani National Driving Permit issued to an Afghan national in another name concealed in ALI’s buttocks.
An NYSP canine conducted a sweep of the exterior of the Subject Vehicle and alerted to the potential presence of narcotics. During a preliminary search of the Subject Vehicle, the troopers observed an unusually heavy suitcase, which was found to contain a large cache of firearms:
Additional firearms were recovered in the backseat area of the Subject Vehicle:
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BROMFIELD, 22, a citizen of Canada, ALI, 25, a citizen of Pakistan, and SALMAN, 22, a citizen of Canada, the United States, and Jordan, are each charged with one count of smuggling from the United States, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; one count of unlicensed dealing in firearms, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of transporting stolen firearms in interstate commerce, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and one count of unlawful possession of firearms, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. BROMFIELD is also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
The statutory maximum sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the efforts of the New York State Police - Troop F, Community Stabilization Unit, FBI’s New York Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, and the ATF.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sarlitto is in charge of the prosecution.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Three Affiliated Skilled Nursing Facilities to Pay $300,000 to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Related to Medically Unnecessary Rehabilitation ServicesRead the Press Release
Three affiliated skilled nursing facilities in Illinois have agreed to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting or causing the submission of false claims to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for medically unnecessary rehabilitation services. Under the agreement, Symphony Jackson Square LLC doing business as Symphony of Chicago West, Symphony Park South LLC doing business as Symphony of Morgan Park, and Symphony Midway LLC will pay the United States a total of $300,000. The settlement is based on their ability to pay.
Prior to October 2019, Medicare reimbursed skilled nursing facilities for therapy services to patients based on a patient’s resource utilization group (RUG). The RUG was to be determined by the amount of therapy and other services provided to the patient. The more therapy a patient received each week, the higher the RUG category, and the higher reimbursement a facility received. The United States alleged that, between Jan. 1, 2014, and Sept. 30, 2019, the skilled nursing facilities billed Medicare for physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech pathology services provided to patients for longer than medically necessary and without regard for patients’ individual medical needs. These actions resulted in the submission of false claims based on inflated RUG levels.
“We expect nursing facilities to provide their patients, which include some of our most vulnerable citizens, reasonable and appropriate amounts of skilled rehabilitation therapy services,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department is committed to holding accountable skilled nursing facilities that provide services based on their financial interests rather than the clinical needs of their patients.”
“Providing unnecessary medical services endangers the health of patients and raises the cost of treatment and insurance premiums for hard-working taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office will remain vigilant in our efforts to deter those who seek to exploit critically important federal health care programs that are intended to help people in need — not cheats who seek to abuse and misuse our nation’s generosity.”
“Skilled nursing facilities that place profits above patient care betray the trust placed in them by vulnerable beneficiaries and the Medicare program,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS‑OIG). “HHS‑OIG will not tolerate the provision or billing of medically unnecessary services. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to protect vulnerable beneficiaries and ensure taxpayer‑funded health care dollars are used appropriately.”
“The FBI is committed to ensuring that the nation’s nursing facilities are poised to provide top-notch, medically necessary care, not putting vulnerable patients at-risk or increasing the costs for vital health care,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas DePodesta of the FBI Chicago Field Office. “While greed and fraud are often uncovered in law enforcement investigations, the FBI is uniquely poised with the personnel and resources to ensure that critical programs like Medicare and Medicaid are protected. Today’s announcement underscores the importance of the work that the FBI and our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners engage in to ensure offenders face accountability. We would especially like to thank the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Office of Inspector General for their partnership in this investigation.”
The allegations resolved by the settlement arose from a qui tam or whistleblower lawsuit filed by Integra Med Analytics LLC. Under the False Claims Act, private parties can sue on behalf of the government and receive a portion of any recovery. The case is captioned United States ex rel. Integra Med Analytics LLC v. Symphony Healthcare LLC et al., No. 20-CV-0348 (N.D. Ill.). The whistleblower will receive $45,000 of the recovered funds.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the United States Attorneys’ Office for the Northern District of Illinois, HHS-OIG, and the FBI.
The matter was handled by Fraud Section Attorney Rachel Karpoff and Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Wawzenski for the Northern District of Illinois.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Note: This release has been updated to reflect the contributions of additional law enforcement partners.
The Fraud Division Announces Enforcement Actions from Across the Country Representing Nearly $1 Billion in FraudRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division continued to advance its mission to fight fraud and protect taxpayers. Just on Monday, two men were sentenced to 151 months and 36 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in submitting over $522 million in fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary genetic tests in a scheme to defraud Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurance companies.
"The Fraud Division continues to grow its footprint and aggressively prosecute fraud schemes, no matter the size,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Every day, prosecutors and law enforcement partners across the country are working to protect Americans from fraudsters who want to steal citizens’ hard-earned prosperity.”
Benefits Program Fraud
A defendant was sentenced to 144 months in prison in the Middle District of Pennsylvania for fraudulently obtaining $59 million in public benefits and laundering the proceeds to China.
A defendant in Florida pleaded guilty to one count of receiving approximately $250,000 in stolen U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”) disability compensation and benefits. The defendant falsely represented to the VA that he was legally blind and that his vision conditions prevented him from driving, working, and performing various daily functions.
A defendant pleaded guilty in Michigan to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft related to a decade-long, multi-million-dollar federal student loan fraud scheme. The defendant fraudulently caused more than $16 million in benefits to be awarded, with more than $10 million disbursed.
In Tennessee, a defendant pleaded guilty to wire fraud related to misrepresentations he made on his application for a $159,900 CARES Act loan, which was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead he used the proceeds for personal expenses.
Health Care Fraud
A former NFL player was sentenced to over 16 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to defraud Medicare and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs out of nearly $200 million. The defendant was ordered to pay over $110 million in restitution and to forfeit approximately $17 million that was seized from bank accounts and other assets.
An optometric physician pleaded guilty in Tennessee for her role in defrauding Medicare out of $6.9 million. Over three-and-a-half years, the defendant used her practice to submit false claims seeking reimbursements from Medicare for new wound care products she had not actually purchased or used.
A pharmacy technician in Michigan pleaded guilty to a $5.6 million health care scheme and illegal distribution of Oxycodone. The defendant billed benefit programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, for prescription medications that he never dispensed and provided unlawful prescriptions of oxycodone to drug traffickers in exchange for cash.
A defendant in Oklahoma City was sentenced to 20 months in prison for a $1.1 million health care fraud scheme. The defendant submitted, and caused to be submitted, thousands of false and fraudulent claims to private insurance for behavioral health counseling sessions purportedly provided to family members.
Government Fraud
Four defendants, including two former U.S. Postal Service Employees, pleaded guilty for their involvement in a conspiracy to steal $84 million in U.S. Treasury checks. During the scheme, conspirators stole thousands of envelopes containing U.S. Treasury checks from mail sorting machines and then sold them to buyers around the country.
Tax Fraud
In South Florida, a tax preparer pleaded guilty for submitting false tax forms to support more than 200 fraudulent loan applications under the CARES Act’s Paycheck Protection Program. The defendant and his co-conspirators used false records to seek more than $4.1 million in PPP loans.
Two defendants in Jacksonville, Florida, were sentenced to 57 months’ and 24 months’ imprisonment, respectively, for a $148 million construction payroll scheme that defrauded the IRS and workers’ compensation insurers. All told, the U.S. Treasury lost over $37 million in unpaid payroll taxes.
A tax preparer pleaded guilty in California to filing false tax returns to get substantial refunds for his clients and fraudulently including false information on COVID-19 business-relief loan applications, causing more than $ 25 million in losses to the government.
A Florida defendant was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for filing a false tax return and was ordered to pay $103,646 in restitution.
Financial Fraud
A New York federal grand jury indicted six defendants in a financial fraud scheme impacting victims across the country. According to the indictment, the defendants obtained stolen United States Treasury tax refund checks that were payable to other persons, and then used fraudulent identification documents to open bank accounts in the names of the persons the tax refund checks were payable.
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On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Tampa Woman Charged in Fraud Scheme to Obtain Social Security and Pension Benefits by Disposing of Aunt’s Body to Conceal her DeathRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Rebecca Stewart Vaughn (64, Tampa) has been charged by federal indictment with four counts of wire fraud and one count of theft of government money. If convicted, Vaughn faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each wire fraud count and up to 10 years for the theft of government money. The indictment also notifies Vaughn that the United States is seeking the forfeiture of more than $75,000, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the indictment, Vaughn engaged in a fraud scheme to obtain Social Security benefits and City of New York pension benefits that did not belong to her. The benefits were being paid to Vaughn’s aunt, J.C. When J.C. died, Vaughn concealed her death by wrapping J.C.’s body in layers of blankets, sheets, and plastic bags, placing her body in a mattress bag, and disposing of the body in a wooded lot adjacent to a wastewater treatment plant. Vaughn also falsely represented to law enforcement officers that J.C. was still alive. By concealing J.C.’s death, Vaughn fraudulently induced the Social Security Administration and the Teacher’s Retirement System of the City of New York to continue to pay monthly benefits for J.C., which Vaughn then spent on herself and others.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Suburban Chicago Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Stealing More Than $10 Million in Interstate ShipmentsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for stealing more than $10 million in goods, including liquor and commercial-grade copper, from interstate shipments.
From 2020 to 2023, AIVARAS ZIGMANTAS used various aliases to falsely pose as a representative of real and fictitious carriers and brokers that offered to transport shipments across state lines. After fraudulently inducing individuals and entities to release shipments of goods to him, Zigmantas and others diverted the shipments from their intended destinations and stole the goods.
Zigmantas and others intended to steal at least $14.6 million in goods and successfully stole more than $10.1 million.
Zigmantas, 41, of Elk Grove Village, Ill., pleaded guilty in December 2025 to a federal wire fraud charge. U.S. District Judge Elaine E. Bucklo imposed the 60-month prison sentence during a hearing on Wednesday in federal court in Chicago.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of Homeland Security Investigations, and Michael J. Pfeiffer, Acting Director of Field Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
“Over the course of three years, defendant stole more than $10 million in shipments of copper and liquor by fraudulently posing as employees of both legitimate and fictitious logistics companies,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate McClelland argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “He had the ability to make different choices, but refused to do so, resulting in increasingly serious criminal conduct and substantial losses to his victims.”
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Trade Fraud Task Force, which vigorously pursues enforcement actions against parties who seek to evade or otherwise undermine federal customs laws. The Department of Justice recently selected the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office to be a lead prosecutorial partner on the Trade Fraud Task Force. In addition, on April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Slovakian Administrator of Darknet Market that Sold Drugs and Stolen Personal Information Sentenced to 200 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Cristian M. Stevens on Thursday sentenced a Slovakian man who aided the operation of a darknet market to 200 months in prison.
Alan Bill, 33, of Bratislava, pleaded guilty in January to one felony count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and admitted involvement in the operation of Kingdom Market, a darknet marketplace that operated between March 2021 and December 2023. Kingdom facilitated thousands of transactions wherein hundreds of vendors offered dangerous illegal drugs, stolen financial information, fraudulent identification documents, counterfeit currencies and computer malware throughout the world. Buyers made their purchases via cryptocurrency and anonymous or semi-anonymous accounts.
As part of his plea, Bill admitted assisting others in maintaining or operating Kingdom by providing or procuring web-administration services. He also admitted receiving cryptocurrency from a wallet associated with Kingdom, assisting with the creation of Kingdom’s forum pages on websites such as Reddit and Dread, having access to Kingdom usernames that made postings on behalf of Kingdom on social media accounts and communicating with others regarding certain Kingdom transactions.
Although Bill attempted to minimize his role with Kingdom Market in a day-long hearing Thursday, Judge Stevens found that evidence showed that Bill was a leader and/or organizer of the criminal conspiracy and was aware of what vendors were selling.
Kingdom servers show that there were more than 1,500 sales of heroin by dozens of vendors and nearly 600 sales of what sellers claimed was Oxycodone. Bill and his co-conspirators knew that fentanyl was being slipped into other products, a sentencing memo filed by the government says. “The dangerous drugs trafficked by defendant through Kingdom caused harm to untold numbers of people across the world,” the memo says.
After announcing the sentence Thursday, Judge Stevens said, “It’s hard to even imagine the amount of misery that the defendant’s actions have caused.”
Undercover federal investigators bought fentanyl, meth and a United States passport from Kingdom that were shipped to the Eastern District of Missouri. Bill was arrested Dec. 15, 2023, at Newark Liberty International Airport in possession of electronic devices that contained evidence of his involvement with Kingdom.
As part of his plea agreement, Bill also agreed to forfeit five different types of cryptocurrency, as well as the Kingdommarket.live and Kingdommarket.so domains, which have been shut down by authorities.
“Alan Bill helped run a darknet market that sold stolen identity and financial information, counterfeit currency and illegal drugs, including bogus prescription drugs containing fentanyl,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus. “This sentence should send a message that serious crimes will be punished harshly, no matter where they occur or how hidden they appear to be.”
“Life is a series of good and bad choices. Mr. Bill made a bad choice to start a darknet marketplace that sold misery in the form of illegal drugs, stolen financial information and fake or stolen identification documents,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation St. Louis Special Agent in Charge William Steenson. “IRS-CI is committed to using the financial expertise of our special agents to track down and stop criminal organizations such as Kingdom Market. We’re grateful to our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their aggressive prosecution of this case.”
“Distributing deadly and highly addictive narcotics is extremely dangerous and has been a major contributor to the ongoing drug epidemic that is destroying communities across the country,” said Acting Inspector in Charge, Nicholas Bucciarelli, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Domicile Office. “Leveraging USPIS unique cross-border authorities and expertise in cyber and narcotics investigations, Inspectors were able to pierce the veil of anonymity that these drug traffickers falsely believed they possessed by operating on the dark web, to expose their conspiracy and hold them accountable for their actions.”
“People often feel a false sense of security and anonymity, like they’re able to get away with something if they conduct business on the dark web,” DEA St. Louis Field Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Davis said. “That couldn’t be further from the truth. Our investigators and agents are well versed in the field of cyber transactions and work routinely to dismantle those organizations looking to profit off others with the sale of illegal drugs.”
IRS Criminal Investigation, the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, the Bureau of Diplomatic Security and the Missouri Department of Revenue investigated the case. The investigation also involved numerous foreign law enforcement agencies, including the German Federal Criminal Police, or Bundeskriminalamt, the Frankfurt am Main Public Prosecutor's Office - Central Office for Combating Internet Crime (ZIT) as well as law enforcement agencies from Switzerland, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Bateman, John Ware and Justin Ladendorf prosecuted the case.
Seven Additional Canadian Nationals Charged in Connection with Nationwide Multimillion-Dollar “Grandparent Scam” Following Homeland Security Task Force InvestigationRead the Press Release
BURLINGTON – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on November 18, 2025, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging the following seven Canadian nationals with participation in a “Grandparent Scam” that defrauded elderly individuals in Vermont and more than 40 other states:
Evangelos Lohaitis, a.k.a. “Bucky,” (36 – Saint-Eustache, Québec)
Mitchell Burnett-Guarna, a.k.a. “Juice,” (39 – Dorval, Québec)
Kyle Lesser, a.k.a. “Brock,” (34 – Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Québec)
Luca Santalucia, a.k.a. “Rocco,” (27 – Montreal, Québec)
Glen Crossley, a.k.a. “Buju,” (56 – Kirkland, Québec)
Cody Jodouin-King, a.k.a. “Lids,” (28 – Vaudreuil-Dorion, Québec)
Panagiota Fountotos, a.k.a. “Nike,” (29 – Laval, Québec)All seven defendants were arrested in Canada on May 7, 2026. The charges relate to a separate indictment charging 25 other defendants, including Gareth West, with participation in the same Grandparent Scam.
According to the indictment, which was unsealed on May 7, 2026, between the summer of 2021 and June 4, 2024, the defendants engaged in a “Grandparent Scam” involving phone calls made from call centers in and around Montreal, Québec. During these phone calls, defendants falsely claimed to be an elderly victim’s relative, typically a grandchild, who had been arrested following a car crash and needed money for “bail.” Other defendants posed as an “attorney” representing the elderly victim’s relative. Elderly victims were often told that there was a “gag order” in place to prevent the elderly victim from telling anyone about their family member’s supposed arrest. Elderly victims were convinced to provide bail money to an individual falsely posing as a bail bondsman, who would come to the elderly victim’s home to collect the money. This money was later transmitted to Canada following cash deliveries and financial transactions, sometimes involving cryptocurrency, which, the indictment alleges, obscured the source of the money and the identities of defendants.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The defendants face up to 20 years of imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentences, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, as well as Customs and Border Protection. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ophardt also acknowledged the contributions of numerous other local, state, and federal investigators and agencies across the United States who assisted the investigation, and recognized the contributions of the United States Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs as well as Justice Canada.
The prosecutors are Assistant United States Attorneys Nate Burris, Michelle Arra, and Nicole Cate. Santalucia is represented by David Sleigh, Esq. The other defendants have not yet retained or been appointed counsel in the United States.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Vermont comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Diplomatic Security Service, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and state and local partner agencies, with prosecutions being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont.
Serial Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
Gainesville, Florida – Curtis Lee Smith-Carter, 28, of Gainesville, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Removing this serial felon from our streets achieves one of the key goals of Operation Take Back America, which devotes the full might of the Department of Justice toward protecting our communities from violent criminals. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute and seek maximum punishments for repeat offenders, like this defendant, to deliver the safe streets and neighborhoods the citizens of the Northern District of Florida deserve!”
Court documents reflect that on November 8, 2025, shortly after midnight, the defendant attempted to flee from police as they approached him behind a Gainesville convenience store near an open fire. At that time, the defendant was in possession of a loaded .32 caliber pistol, which he threw over a fence. The defendant has been convicted of nine prior felony offenses, including possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.
Smith-Carter faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Gainesville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 21, 2026, at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville before United States Chief District Judge Allen C. Winsor.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Scott County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Georgetown, Ky., man, Ricky Helton, 48, was sentenced on Tuesday to 180 months by U.S. District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to his plea agreement, on October 24, 2024, Helton met an individual in Lexington to purchase methamphetamine. When law enforcement approached Helton’s vehicle, they located one pound of methamphetamine. Prior to this, law enforcement conducted four controlled purchases of methamphetamine from June through August 2024.
Helton previously was convicted of attempted manufacturing methamphetamine in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky in 2005.
Under federal law, Helton must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years.
Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by DEA and KSP. Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. Chapman is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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Sacramento Gang Member Sentenced to over 18 Years in Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jose Miguel Hernandez, 27, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins to 18 years and four months in prison for a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, Hernandez was a member of a violent Sacramento street gang that distributed massive amounts of lethal drugs in the Sacramento region during 2024. As part of his guilty plea, Hernandez admitted to conspiring with other gang members to distribute methamphetamine in Sacramento between Jan. 26, 2023, and May 10, 2024. During the conspiracy, Hernandez sold a total of 8 pounds of methamphetamine to a confidential source. Hernandez pleaded guilty on Sept. 9, 2025.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Sacramento Police Department, the Yuba County Sheriff’s Department, and the California Highway Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hitt is prosecuting the case.
The Court previously sentenced co-defendants Johnny Bobby Truong to 19 years in prison and Michael Hutchison to 15 years in prison.
Defendant Julio Sarabia pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 14, 2026.
The remaining defendants, Mulan Keophimanh, Tanya Lawson, and Guadalupe Cervantes, are scheduled for a status conference on June 5, 2026. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Registered sex offender charged with possession of child pornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment charging a convicted sex offender with possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents, Jesse William Laws, 46, of Leavenworth was indicted on one count of possession of child pornography.
Laws is accused of knowingly viewing or accessing CSAM in November 2025 and therefore allegedly a violation of his terms of release related to a previous conviction in the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana for receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography in 2006, and a conviction in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri for possession of child pornography in 2017.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Audrey McCormick is prosecuting the case.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.OTHER INDICTMENTS
Adrian German Marrufo-Morales, 43, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.
James D. Hall, 35, of Kansas City, Kansas, was indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel is prosecuting the case.
Raul Leyva-Ramirez, 45, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case.
Sergio Manuel Martinez-Sanchez, 53, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of reentry by a previously removed alien. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Hines is prosecuting the case.
Obed Rocha-Flores, 41, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Raleigh County Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – John Thompson, 50, of White Oak, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, for aiding and abetting the distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 18, 2024, Thompson oversaw the sale of approximately 205 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in exchange for $2,500. As part of his guilty plea, Thompson admitted that he arranged the transaction after meeting with the confidential informant and that co-defendant Sharee Woodson conducted it. Thompson further admitted that he sold quantities of methamphetamine on February 28, 2024, and March 1, 2024, and quantities of fentanyl on March 4, 2024, and March 13, 2024, each time to the confidential informant.
Woodson, 46, of Beckley, was sentenced on March 27, 2026, to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, and the Beckley Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-cr-116.
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Pryor man sentenced to over 7 years in prison for sexual abuse on Blackfeet and Northern Cheyenne Indian ReservationsRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Pryor man who sexually abused two females on the Blackfeet and Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservations was sentenced today to 87 months of imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.
Esaias Stops Pretty Places, 22, pleaded guilty in November 2025 to two counts of sexual abuse.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Stops Pretty Places raped a woman in May 2023 on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. He and the victim had been driving around with other people drinking alcohol and eventually ended up at a residence on the reservation, where Stops Pretty Places ignored the victim’s objections and raped her. The victim left the house after the assault and immediately called the police.
A few months later, in July 2023, Stops Pretty Places and another victim were at a house in Lame Deer on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. Stops Pretty Places made sexual advances toward the victim and eventually made her perform oral sex in him.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and BIA conducted the investigation.
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Parmelee Man Acquitted of AssaultRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a Parmelee, South Dakota, man was acquitted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, and Using and Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence following a federal jury trial in Pierre, South Dakota, on May 7, 2026.
Joey Kills Plenty, age 26, was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2025.
The charges related to an allegation that Kills Plenty assaulted a man with a firearm in August 2025, in Todd County in the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because federal law mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
The investigation was conducted by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the case.
Paisas gang member sentenced for human smuggling while on supervised release in joint HSTF/JTFA effortRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 25-year-old Laredo resident has been ordered to federal prison for transporting illegal aliens following a failed smuggling attempt near the La Bota Ranch area, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Duilio Ivan Selgado pleaded guilty Feb. 3.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana has now ordered Selgado to serve 41 months in federal prison as well as a consecutive 14 months for violating his supervised release. The total 55-month term of imprisonment will be immediately followed by two years of supervised release.
During the hearing, the court heard additional evidence detailing Selgado’s extensive criminal history involving violence and other conduct that placed the public at risk, including assaults, arson and high-speed flights from law enforcement. In imposing the sentence, Judge Saldana commented on the distressing criminal history and noted that this marked Selgado’s sixth arrest for alien smuggling and the second time he violated a term of supervised release by committing the very same offense for which he was already under supervision.
On Nov. 10, 2025, authorities were conducting surveillance in the La Bota Ranch area of Laredo. They observed approximately 20 illegal aliens cross the Rio Grande and walk towards a nearby boat ramp. Shortly after, a Ford Expedition and Ford F-150 picked up the aliens.
Law enforcement-initiated pursuit of the Expedition and observed Selgado exit the vehicle from the front passenger side. As they approached, several aliens fled on foot.
One illegal alien stated he paid to be smuggled into the United States. After crossing the river, the group was directed to walk up a boat ramp to be picked up. He also said Selgado was on the phone receiving directions.
Selgado admitted to being a member of the Paisas prison gang.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Day prosecuted the case.
This operation is now part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF South Texas comprises agents and officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations; FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation/IRS; Interpol/Department of State and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas leading the prosecution. Border Patrol and Texas Department of Public Safety also provided assistance in the case.
The investigation and charges are also a result of coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha, a partnership with Department of Homeland Security which has been elevated and expanded with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, Districts of Arizona and New Mexico and Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Office of Enforcement Operations and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA and other partners.
To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 455 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 400 U.S. convictions; more than 350 significant jail sentences imposed and forfeitures of substantial assets.
Operation Take Back America efforts continue with 267 more charged in the Southern District of TexasRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of 256 cases have been filed for immigration and border security-related crimes from May 1-7, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
The charges include 40 people allegedly involved in human smuggling. A total of 46 criminal complaints were filed for illegal entry, while another 180 people face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. The remaining case includes another immigration violation. Most of those charged this week have prior felonies such as narcotics, violent crime, immigration offenses and more.
Three of the filed cases allegedly involve illegal aliens found in the McAllen area. One individual is Armando Montoya-Cardozo from Bolivia, according to the charges. The criminal complaint alleges he has a prior conviction for carnal knowledge of a minor before he was removed from the United States, and that law enforcement discovered him near Roma with no authorization to be in the United States.
Also found near Roma was Juan Jose German-Carrillo despite having been removed Jan. 8, according to the complaint against him. The Mexican national was previously convicted of injuring a child or the elderly and possession of a controlled substance. Another Mexican national with prior drug convictions is Rene Villarreal-Carmona, according to his charges. Authorities discovered him near Escobares despite having been previously removed from the country.
If convicted, all three men face up to 20 years in federal prison.
In addition to the new cases, a three-time DUI offender illegally in the United States was ordered to federal prison in Houston federal court. Mexican national Jose Alejandro Luna-Rangel was previously removed from the United States in July 2016 following his conviction for driving under the influence with a child in the vehicle. However, he illegally returned and was convicted for assault-family violence and felony driving while intoxicated (third offense). He was ordered to serve 40 months for the federal illegal reentry after prior removal conviction.
The cases are referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than 10 million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
One Sentenced, One Convicted for Conspiring with Annandale-Based Doctor to Illegally Distribute Promethazine-Codeine and other Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A pair of Maryland men who conspired with Dr. Rotimi Iluyomade, an Annandale-based doctor convicted of distributing more than 7,000 oxycodone pills, 34,000 milliliters of hydrocodone-chlorpheniramine solution (also known as “Tussionex”), and 107,000 milliliters of promethazine-codeine solution (“also known as lean”), had court appearances today in U.S. District Court in Roanoke.
Obioma Alozie Ndubuka, 32, a.k.a. “Bank Roll” of Derwood, Maryland, was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison. Ndubuka pled guilty in February to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute Schedule II controlled substances and to acquire promethazine-codeine solution by fraud.
In addition, Kenechukwu Brian Okwara, 29, a.k.a. “Kene” of Bowie, Maryland, pled guilty today to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute Schedule II controlled substances and to acquire promethazine-codeine solution by fraud.
Also charged in the conspiracy are Cameron Isaiah Lewis, 23, of Bowie, Maryland; Elhadj Malick Diallo, 31, of Silver Spring, Maryland; Zion Oluwademilade Adeduwon, 24, of Bowie, Maryland; and Yared Michael Tesfaye, a.k.a. “Yar,” 28, of Montgomery Village, Maryland, and Raymono Alfonzo Russel II, 25, of Bowie, Maryland. Zion Adeduwon was sentenced to 42 months in March.
According to court documents, in at least 2023 and 2024, Iluyomade and the co-conspirators entered into an agreement to distribute oxycodone pills and hydrocodone-chlorpheniramine solution to pharmacies in multiple states, including California, Colorado, Nebraska, Arizona, Missouri, Florida, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, Rhode Island, Georgia, Wisconsin, Texas, West Virginia, and in the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia. At least 70 of the illegal controlled substance prescriptions were transmitted to and/or filled at pharmacies in the Western District of Virginia.
As part of the conspiracy, multiple individuals visited Iluyomade’s medical clinic to obtain fraudulent prescriptions. The individuals provided Iluyomade with lists of multiple “patients” with fake identifying information or different variations of names and false addresses, and requested prescriptions be sent to pharmacies throughout the United States for the “patients” on the lists.
Ndubuka traveled to various pharmacies to pick up fraudulent prescriptions written by Iluyomade, which he then distributed for profit, often posting pictures on his social media accounts to facilitate drug sales. Iluyomade transmitted at least 134 fraudulent prescriptions using variations of the “Ndubuka” surname. The prescriptions listed 56 different residential addresses but the same patient home phone number. Ndubuka paid approximately $300 per fraudulent prescription.
Okwara visited Iluyomade at Crossover Medical Center in Annadale, Virginia to obtain fraudulent prescriptions for promethazine-codeine and hydrocodone-chlorpheniramine. Okwara was one of the first co-conspirators to obtain fraudulent prescriptions from Iluyomade, and shortly thereafter began selling “slots” with Iluyomade to other co-conspirators that they used to obtain fraudulent prescriptions.
The investigation began on September 2, 2023, when Russell attempted to pick up a fraudulent promethazine-codeine solution prescription transmitted by Iluyomade at a pharmacy in Honaker, Virginia. Russell was arrested and a search of his vehicle revealed multiple controlled substance prescription bottles in various ‘patient’ names, all from Iluyomade, filled at pharmacies in Roanoke, Radford, Tazewell, and Floyd, Virginia.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Virginia State Police, Russell County Sheriff’s Office, Salisbury, Maryland Police Department, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Nebraska State Police, HHS-OIG, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lena Busscher and Randy Ramseyer are prosecuting the case.
North Carolina Man Arrested on Federal Charges of Threatening to Kill U.S. Officials in Charge of Immigration Enforcement and PolicyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Forsyth County man was arrested today on charges of threatening to kill federal immigration officials.
According to court documents, in June 2025, Richard David Warren, 61, formerly of Brunswick County, allegedly mailed letters to two government officials leading the United States’ immigration enforcement and related policies, in which he threatened to kill them. Warren also allegedly threatened to kill the family of one official and blow up and burn down the house belonging to the other.
Warren is charged with three counts of violating 18 U.S.C. § 115(a)(1) (threatening to murder a federal official or his family) and two counts of violating 18 U.S.C. § 876(c) (mailing a threatening communication to a federal official). He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison if convicted of any of these charges.
“The safety and security of our personnel and their families is paramount. Threats of violence against federal officials—no matter the source or method—will be investigated with the utmost seriousness and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said the Special Agent in Charge of ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility. “This case should serve as a clear warning: those who allegedly seek to intimidate or harm government officials in the performance of their duties will face consequences. The Department of Homeland Security will not tolerate attempts to undermine the rule of law or threaten those who serve and protect our nation.”
“The successful execution of this arrest warrant reflects the professionalism, courage, and unwavering commitment of our Deputy United States Marshals,” said United States Marshal for the Eastern District of North Carolina Glenn McNeill. “Threats against public officials strike at the foundation of public service and the rule of law. I commend every member involved for their disciplined response, teamwork, and dedication to protecting our communities and ensuring accountability.”
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Office of Professional Responsibility, within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, is investigating the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:26-CR-26.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Newport News woman sentenced to over seven years in prison for COVID era unemployment insurance fraud schemeRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News woman was sentenced today to seven years and four months in prison for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and aggravated identity theft involving the filing of unemployment insurance (UI) claims in the names of prison inmates and others.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government expanded and extended UI benefits for impacted workers. The Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) administers unemployment compensation in Virginia.
According to court documents, from May 2020 to October 2021, Lakeia Simone Grant, aka Lakeia Shepperd, Lakeia Williams, Lakeia Miles, or Chris Lover, 40, schemed to defraud the expanded unemployment eligibility by using the personal identifying information or prison inmates and others to file fraudulent claims for UI benefits, falsely attesting that the beneficiaries were ready, willing, and able to work and that they lost their jobs due to COVID-19.
Grant filed fraudulent claims with VEC for inmates and coordinated to obtain, transfer, and expend proceeds. Grant conspired with inmate recruiters to obtain the personally identifying information of inmates to file such claims. She also filed fraudulent UI claims for non-inmates either by using stolen personally identifying information or in exchange for a percentage of money obtained by the applicants.
Grant and her co-conspirators filed approximately 38 successful UI claims in the names and information of inmates, resulting in payments totaling approximately $546,576 in benefits. VEC was able to recover some of the funds, resulting in an actual loss to VEC of approximately $480,392.76. Grant and her co-conspirators also applied for at least four successful UI claims for non-inmates resulting in an additional fraud loss of approximately $107,670.
Grant is a five-time convicted felon. In November 2005, Grant was convicted of obstruction of justice and petit larceny in Newport News Circuit Court after she was caught shoplifting, attempted to hit the loss prevention officer, and threatened to burn down the business and blow it up. In July 2008, Grant was convicted of unlawful wounding for attacking a victim at a night club. Grant was convicted in April 2010 and again in October 2014 in Chesterfield Circuit Court for conspiring to obtain money by false pretense and obtaining money by false pretense. In April 2019, she was convicted for conspiring to commit financial card fraud in Wake County District Court in Raleigh, North Carolina. In December 2019, she was convicted for failing to return a rental car from Enterprise.
The FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mack Coleman prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-cr-80.
New Jersey Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Transporting Aliens from Ireland Who Entered the United States Unlawfully on Vermont-Canadian BorderRead the Press Release
BURLINGTON – The United States Attorney’s Office stated that on May 7, 2026, Tyshan Murray, 44, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a sentence of 18 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Murray previously pleaded guilty to unlawfully transporting aliens in furtherance of their unlawful entry into the United States.
According to court records, on September 8, 2024, nine citizens of Ireland had illegally crossed into the United States in the vicinity of Drew Road in Richford, Vermont. Murray picked up the five adults and four children near the U.S.-Canada border. U. S. Border Patrol Agents had been alerted to an unlawful crossing in the area, responded to investigate, and stopped Murray’s SUV in the vicinity of the unlawful crossing. During the traffic stop, a Border Patrol Agent observed three adults and three young children in the rear seats, and two additional young children in the rear cargo compartment sitting on luggage.
At sentencing, the government requested a 33-month sentence, noting Murray’s reckless endangerment of the unrestrained children and his extensive criminal history, which includes multiple previous sentences of incarceration.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol. He added: “The smuggling of aliens across our northern border creates significant national security risks and endangers the lives of the people unlawfully entering our country. Those like Tyshan Murray, who reap illicit profit from alien smuggling, should receive significant punishment.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Gilman. Murray was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Barclay Johnson.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
New Braunfels Woman Indicted for Attempted Arson of Comal County Republican HeadquartersRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A federal grand jury in San Antonio returned an indictment this week charging a New Braunfels woman with actual and attempted malicious damage by fire to property involved in interstate or foreign commerce, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, on Jan. 14, Grace Carol Brown, 22, attempted to set fire to a New Braunfels building that houses the Comal County Republican Party Headquarters and two other commercial businesses. An indictment alleges Brown broke a window of the building and threw a backpack inside. She was then allegedly unsuccessful in her attempt to climb into the building through the broken window and decided to light a rolled magazine on fire and through it inside the building.
Image Credit: U.S. v. Brown Case #5:26cr210Brown allegedly left a note at the scene. The backpack found inside the building allegedly contained, among other items, one container of ethanol, two containers of gasoline, a lighter and matches. An investigation determined that Brown displayed antipathy through writings and actions, toward the goals and activities of the Comal County Republican Party Headquarters, law enforcement elements of the United States government to include ICE, and certain Executive Branch officials whom she allegedly referred to as “Enemies of the U.S. Constitution.”
Brown was arrested on Jan. 22 and charged in Comal County with burglary of a building and arson. She now faces federal charges as well and, if convicted, faces five to 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI is investigating the case with assistance from the New Braunfels Police Department and New Braunfels Fire Marshal’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Mangels is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Med Spa Owner Pleads Guilty to Performing Illegal Injections Using Unapproved Prescription DrugsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Quincy, Mass. man pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to injecting clients of his business, Rodrigo Beauty Inc., with unapproved botulinum toxin obtained from illegitimate sources outside the United States, resulting in numerous severe cases of botulism.
Rodrigo de Medeiros Siqueira, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of misbranding of a drug after shipment in interstate commerce with the intent to defraud or mislead. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for Aug. 12, 2026. Medeiros Siqueira was arrested and charged by complaint in October 2025.
Beginning in or around August 2022, Medeiros Siqueira offered various cosmetic injection procedures, including the injection of botulinum toxin prescription drugs, to clients of Rodrigo Beauty, despite not being licensed to prescribe, dispense, or administer prescription drugs or perform injections. Medeiros Siqueira falsely represented to clients that he was a licensed medical professional authorized to perform injections and made false statements to clients regarding the identity and source of the botulinum toxin products he was using for their injection procedures. Beginning in or around late May 2025, numerous Rodrigo Beauty clients were diagnosed with botulism as a result of injections Medeiros Siqueira performed using unapproved botulinum toxin.
Botulism is a rare and dangerous illness that can result from, among other things, the injection of botulinum toxin. Iatrogenic botulism is caused by botulinum toxin circulating in the blood and spreading beyond the injection site, potentially resulting in life-threatening symptoms, including blurred or double vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, and/or difficulty swallowing or breathing. While botulinum toxin is generally safe when administered by trained medical professionals, improper dosing, administration technique, or use of non-FDA-approved products can result in severe cases of botulism.
If you or a family member believe you received services involving illegal injections and/or unapproved drugs or devices from Medeiros Siqueira or Rodrigo Beauty, please complete the questionnaire located on the FDA’s website at: https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/criminal-investigations/oci-vw-assistance-rodrigo-beauty. Information about the status of the case is located on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/victim-and-witness-assistance-program/united-states-v-rodrigo-de-medeiros-siqueira.
The charge of misbranding of a drug after shipment in interstate commerce with the intent to defraud or mislead provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, New York Field Office made the announcement today. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health also provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie A. Wright of the Health Care Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
Marion County Drug Trafficker Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – Frederick Donnell McLean Jr., 39, of Citrus Springs, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This is yet another successful prosecution under the Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America, which devotes our substantial prosecutorial might toward eradicating drug trafficking from our communities to deliver the safe, drug-free streets our citizens deserve. We will continue sending drug traffickers like this defendant to federal prison until they realize the Northern District of Florida has zero-tolerance for criminality.”
On April 28, 2024, the defendant was traveling from Marion County to Okaloosa County with a supply of methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl. The vehicle was stopped by Florida Highway Patrol in Okaloosa County, and a subsequent search revealed 890 grams of methamphetamine, 27.9 grams of cocaine, and 28.2 grams of fentanyl.
The defendant faces at least 25 years’ imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 16, 2026, in Pensacola, Florida before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Man Sentenced to Nearly 16 Years in Prison for Attempting to Traffic MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Sterling, Ill., man has been sentenced to more than fifteen years in federal prison for attempting to traffic methamphetamine from California to Illinois.
TONY CLAPP, 62, pleaded guilty in 2025 to one count of attempting to possess with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston sentenced Clapp to 15 years and eight months in federal prison.
In his plea agreement, Clapp admitted that in February 2022 he arranged for the purchase and delivery of approximately three kilograms of pure methamphetamine from a source in California. This crime was committed while Clapp was serving a term of court-supervised release following a 2008 federal prison sentence for distribution of cocaine—a fact that the Court found to be an aggravating factor in sentencing Clapp.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Shane R. Catone, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ladd.
Man Charged with Sexual Exploitation and Transportation of A Child for Illegal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging ANDREW FORD with sexual exploitation of a minor and transportation of a minor for unlawful sexual activity. FORD was arrested today and presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew E. Krause in White Plains federal court.
“As alleged, Andrew Ford sexually abused a 13-year-old child and documented that abuse with photographs—compounding the harm to an already vulnerable victim,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Sexual predators should know this: In 2025 and 2026, our Office has brought federal charges against an unprecedented volume of individuals for the sexual exploitation of children and child pornography. If you prey on children in New York, you will be identified, arrested, and prosecuted. New Yorkers want you in prison.”
As alleged in the Complaint:[1]
In December 2024, a 13-year-old child (“Victim-1”) disclosed to law enforcement that FORD had sexually abused her on multiple occasions, both in Westchester County, New York, and in Connecticut.
On May 12, 2025, FORD was arrested and charged in the Justice Court of the Town of Rye, New York, with two counts of rape in the second degree. On or about May 13, 2025, he was arraigned in the Town of Rye Court and released on bail.
Following FORD’s arrest, a search by law enforcement of FORD’s cellphone revealed the existence of sexually explicit images of Victim-1 that were taken in Connecticut after FORD transported Victim-1 from Westchester County to Greenwich, Connecticut.
There may be other victims. If you have information to report, please contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or https://tips.fbi.gov.
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FORD, 42, of Stamford, Connecticut, is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a child, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, and one count of transportation of a child for unlawful sexual activity, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the efforts of the FBI, the Port Chester Police Department, the Greenwich Police Department, and the Westchester District Attorney’s Office in connection with this investigation.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marcia S. Cohen and Ioannis D. Drivas are in charge of the prosecution.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Lewiston Man Pleads Guilty to Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Lewiston man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to distributing controlled substances.
According to court records, beginning in February 2025, a confidential source working with the FBI made several controlled purchases of drugs from Dashane Seamster, 30. On April 1, 2025, the confidential source purchased approximately four ounces of methamphetamine and 120 grams of heroin from Seamster in Lewiston. Investigators surveilled and recorded the transaction.
Seamster faces a mandatory minimum term of 10 years and up to life imprisonment, a maximum fine of $10 million, and up to a lifetime of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI investigated this case.
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Justice Department announces results of Operation Iron PursuitRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Department of Justice today announced the results of Operation Iron Pursuit, a one-month, nationwide enforcement effort to find child victims of sex abuse and arrest child sex predators. More than 200 child victims were located and over 350 child sexual abuse offenders were arrested. All 56 FBI field offices and U.S. Attorneys, offices around the country participated in the coordinated takedown effort, including the Buffalo FBI Field Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.
The operation commenced April 1 and ended April 30. The Administration for Children and Families recognizes April as National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
“This operation puts every child predator on notice: we are coming for you,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The sexual exploitation of minors is an abomination with no place in our society. We will hunt down these offenders, hold them fully accountable under the law, and deliver justice for victims.”
“Every single day this FBI is working 24/7 to break networks of child abusers all across this country,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Last year we joined our partners delivering a record year, identifying and rescuing over 6,300 missing children, and today’s announcement of Operation Iron Pursuit is just the latest success in that work — with over 200 victims located and over 350 offenders arrested. Let this be a message to criminal actors who seek to target America’s children: you will be pursued, and you will be brought to justice.”
“Working closely with our partners at every level of law enforcement, we will use all of the tools at our disposal to investigate and bring to justice those defendants who prey on the most vulnerable of victims, our children,” stated U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo. “Let these efforts also serve as a reminder to parents to be vigilant in consistently monitoring your children’s online activities.”
“FBI Buffalo and our law enforcement partners work every day to identify and arrest criminals who prey on children,” said Philip Tejera, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI’s Buffalo Field Office. “Operation Iron Pursuit exemplifies the FBI’s steadfast commitment: we will not stop until those who endanger children are removed from our communities and held accountable.”
Two defendants were charged in the Western District of New York as part of Operation Iron Pursuit:
- CJ A. Wolf, of Lewiston, NY, was arrested and charged with enticement of a minor, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. According to the criminal complaint, in October 2025, Wolf began communicating with an undercover law enforcement officer via text message, after responding to an advertisement, posted online by investigators, of a purported minor female willing to meet in person to have sex. During these communications, Wolf was told to travel to a specific location where he could have sex with the purported 13-year-old girl who was advertised online. Wolf traveled to a retail parking lot and interacted with the undercover officer who was coordinating the sexual interaction between Wolf and the purported 13-year-old girl. Wolf was asked if he had the money, which he confirmed by showing he had $200 and agreeing for “a half hour.” After some further conversation, Wolf was arrested.
- Kenneth Tootle, of Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged with production of child pornography, enticement of a minor, and receipt of child pornography, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. According to the criminal complaint, on January 18, 2026, the Rochester Police Department received a report from a mother that she found disturbing messages between her seven-year-old daughter (minor victim) and Tootle on her daughter’s cell phone, including sexual photos and videos. A review of the minor victim’s phone confirmed that she was communicating with Tootle and sent him images and videos of herself that constitute child pornography. Subsequently, a search warrant was executed on Tootle’s cell phone. However, the complaint states that the images of child pornography sent by the minor victim to Tootle had been deleted.
This effort follows three other successful operations last year. Operation Relentless Justice, concluded in December 2025, resulted in the rescue of 205 children and arrests of 293 offenders. Operation Enduring Justice, concluded in August 2025, resulted in the rescue of 133 children and the arrests of 234 offenders. And Operation Restore Justice, concluded in May 2025, resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sex abuse offenders.
The FBI’s VSD assisted victims during Operation Iron Pursuit and provided services such as forensic interviews, referrals for medical and mental health resources, and coordination with partners. VSD's mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant, and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Justice Department Sues to Revoke US Citizenship of Convicted Cuban SpyRead the Press Release
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil denaturalization complaint yesterday against Victor Manuel Rocha in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Rocha is a native of Colombia who was convicted of serving as an unregistered agent for the Republic of Cuba.
“Under no circumstances should an agent of a foreign adversary be permitted to hold the title of American citizen,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate. “Our mission is clear: to root out these fraudsters and preserve the sanctity of the naturalization process for those who adhere to our laws. Any individual who lied during the naturalization process to gain a foothold in this country will be met with the full weight of the Department of Justice.”
“Victor Manuel Rocha was not a low-level operative. He was a former United States Ambassador and senior government official who admitted he secretly served the Cuban regime for decades,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “The Southern District of Florida helped take down one of the most prolific Cuban spies ever uncovered in the United States. This civil denaturalization case is about finishing the job. The complaint alleges that Rocha obtained American citizenship through lies, concealment, and betrayal. A person who secretly serves communist Cuba should not keep the privilege of United States citizenship, even while in prison.”
The U.S. seeks an order revoking Rocha’s naturalization based on his admission in criminal proceedings that he began spying for Cuba in 1973 before he naturalized in 1978. When he applied for naturalization, Rocha represented under penalty of perjury that he had not committed crimes for which he had not been arrested; he was not affiliated with the Communist Party of Cuba; he had not advocated, believed in, or knowingly supported and furthered the interests of Communism; and he believed in the U.S. Constitution and the form of government of the U.S. None of these were true.
In 2023, Rocha was charged with several counts related to spying for the Republic of Cuba and passport fraud. U.S. v. Rocha, No. 1:23-cr-20464-Bloom (S.D. Fla. Dec. 5, 2023). In April 2024, Rocha admitted that, starting in or around 1973, he secretly supported the Republic of Cuba and its clandestine intelligence-gathering mission against the U.S. by serving as a covert agent of Cuba’s intelligence services. He pleaded guilty and was convicted of Conspiracy to Act as an Agent of a Foreign Government and to Defraud the United States and Acting as an Illegal Agent of a Foreign Government. He was sentenced to and is serving a 15-year sentence.
The U.S. will bring seven independent counts seeking the revocation of his U.S. citizenship. Rocha was not qualified for naturalization for several reasons, including that he committed unlawful acts, gave false testimony during his naturalization examination, was not attached to the principles of the U.S. Constitution and not well-disposed to the good order and happiness of the U.S., was affiliated with the Communist Party of Cuba, and advocated for communism. The U.S. will also seek the revocation of his naturalization because he procured his citizenship by concealing material facts or willful misrepresenting several facts in naturalization proceedings related to spying for Cuba.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Denaturalization Unit of the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida are litigating the case.
The claims made in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Justice Department Sues to Revoke US Citizenship of Convicted Cuban SpyRead the Press Release
MIAMI – The U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil denaturalization complaint yesterday against Victor Manuel Rocha in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Rocha is a native of Colombia who was convicted of serving as an unregistered agent for the Republic of Cuba.
“Under no circumstances should an agent of a foreign adversary be permitted to hold the title of American citizen,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate. “Our mission is clear: to root out these fraudsters and preserve the sanctity of the naturalization process for those who adhere to our laws. Any individual who lied during the naturalization process to gain a foothold in this country will be met with the full weight of the Department of Justice.”
“Victor Manuel Rocha was not a low-level operative. He was a former United States Ambassador and senior government official who admitted he secretly served the Cuban regime for decades,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “The Southern District of Florida helped take down one of the most prolific Cuban spies ever uncovered in the United States. This civil denaturalization case is about finishing the job. The complaint alleges that Rocha obtained American citizenship through lies, concealment, and betrayal. A person who secretly serves communist Cuba should not keep the privilege of United States citizenship, even while in prison.”
The U.S. seeks an order revoking Rocha’s naturalization based on his admission in criminal proceedings that he began spying for Cuba in 1973 before he naturalized in 1978. When he applied for naturalization, Rocha represented under penalty of perjury that he had not committed crimes for which he had not been arrested; he was not affiliated with the Communist Party of Cuba; he had not advocated, believed in, or knowingly supported and furthered the interests of Communism; and he believed in the U.S. Constitution and the form of government of the U.S. None of these were true.
In 2023, Rocha was charged with several counts related to spying for the Republic of Cuba and passport fraud. U.S. v. Rocha, No. 1:23-cr-20464-Bloom (S.D. Fla. Dec. 5, 2023). In April 2024, Rocha admitted that, starting in or around 1973, he secretly supported the Republic of Cuba and its clandestine intelligence-gathering mission against the U.S. by serving as a covert agent of Cuba’s intelligence services. He pleaded guilty and was convicted of Conspiracy to Act as an Agent of a Foreign Government and to Defraud the United States and Acting as an Illegal Agent of a Foreign Government. He was sentenced to and is serving a 15-year sentence.
The U.S. will bring seven independent counts seeking the revocation of his U.S. citizenship. Rocha was not qualified for naturalization for several reasons, including that he committed unlawful acts, gave false testimony during his naturalization examination, was not attached to the principles of the U.S. Constitution and not well-disposed to the good order and happiness of the U.S., was affiliated with the Communist Party of Cuba, and advocated for communism. The U.S. will also seek the revocation of his naturalization because he procured his citizenship by concealing material facts or willful misrepresenting several facts in naturalization proceedings related to spying for Cuba.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Denaturalization Unit of the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida are litigating the case.
The claims made in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 26-cv-23236.
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Justice Department Moves to Denaturalize 12 Individuals for Concealing Terrorist Support, War Crimes, Espionage, Sexual Abuse, and MoreRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice announced today that it filed denaturalization actions in various U.S. district courts against 12 individuals accused of serious offenses—including providing material support to a terrorist group, committing war crimes, and sexually abusing a minor.
Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a naturalized U.S. citizen’s citizenship may be revoked, and certificate of naturalization canceled, if the naturalization was illegally procured or procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.
“Individuals implicated in committing fraud, heinous crimes such as sexual abuse, or expressing support for terrorism should never have been naturalized as United States citizens,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The Trump administration is taking action to correct these egregious violations of our immigration system. Those who intentionally concealed their criminal histories or misrepresented themselves during the naturalization process will face the fullest extent of the law.”
“This Department of Justice continues to file denaturalization actions at record speeds to restore integrity in our naturalization process,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The disturbing criminal histories confirm these individuals should have never received the privilege of U.S. citizenship. We remain committed to leveraging every tool available under the law to pursue those who obtain their U.S. citizenship unlawfully.”
- Ali Yousif Ahmed Al-Nouri (Age 48/Iraq): On Friday, May 8, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice and the United States Attorney for the District of Arizona filed a civil denaturalization complaint in the United States District Court in Phoenix, Arizona, against Ali Yousif Ahmed, a native of Iraq. Ahmed entered the United States in 2009 based on a claim that he and his family were attacked by Al-Qaeda terrorists in Iraq. In 2019, the Republic of Iraq requested that the United States extradite Ahmed to Iraq to face criminal charges for the premediated murder of two Iraqi police officers in 2006. Iraq claims that Ahmed murdered the police officers as a leader in the Al-Qaeda terrorist organization. Upon further investigation, United States learned that, in 2015, Ahmed illegally procured his naturalization, which warrants his denaturalization, because he lied under oath about his criminal and family history when he sought admission to the United States and naturalized as a U.S. citizen.
- Oscar Alberto Pelaez (Age 75/Colombia): The United States has also brought a denaturalization action against Oscar Alberto Pelaez, a Colombian Roman Catholic priest, who, from 1998 to 2000, sexually abused a child on multiple occasions from the time that child was 14 until he was 17 years old. In 2002, Mr. Pelaez pleaded guilty to and was convicted of thirteen counts of sexual assault against a child, including two counts of oral copulation with a person under eighteen years of age, and two counts of sodomy of a person under eighteen years of age. Mr. Pelaez lied about the commission of these crimes in connection with his naturalization application. The United States has brought four claims against Mr. Pelaez seeking his denaturalization, including claims that he lacked the good moral character to become a U.S. citizen and that he knowingly lied to immigration authorities.
- Khalid Ouazzani (Age 48/Morocco): When Khalid Ouazzani, a native of Morocco, applied for U.S. citizenship in 2005 and again when he naturalized in 2006, he swore to his attachment to the principles of the Constitution of the United States. Those oaths were false because as early as 2003, Kahlid was planning—with two men later convicted of trying to bomb the New York Stock exchange—ways to support Al‑Qaida. By 2007, just one year after he naturalized, he sent Al‑Qaida tens of thousands of dollars in financial support with money that he had fraudulently obtained, and in 2008, he took an oath of allegiance to that terrorist organization. In May 2010, Ouazzani pleaded guilty to bank fraud, money laundering, and providing material support to Al-Qaida. The denaturalization complaint filed against Ouazzani alleges that he gave false testimony during his naturalization proceedings about his attachment to the Constitution and because his affiliation and membership with Al-Qaida within five years of his naturalization constitutes prima facie evidence that when he naturalized, he lacked the requisite attachment to the Constitution.
- Salah Osman Ahmed (Age 43/Somalia): Ahmed was not attached to the principles of the U.S. Constitution when he naturalized in 2007. Just months after he naturalized, Ahmed began providing material support to terrorists. Ahmed traveled to Somalia to fight and kill Ethiopians and joined the terrorist group al-Shabaab. On July 28, 2009, in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, he pleaded guilty to providing material support to terrorists, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2339A(a). Ahmed joined al-Shabaab, and his membership of, or affiliation with al-Shabaab within five years of naturalization would have precluded him from citizenship. Ahmed procured his naturalization by concealment of material facts or willful misrepresentation, for joining al-Shabaab shortly after his naturalization.
- Baboucarr Mboob (Age 58/Gambia): On November 11, 1994, Baboucarr Mboob, a native of The Gambia, while serving as a military police officer in the Gambian army, participated, along with fifteen other soldiers, in the execution of six officers following the orders from his commanding officer who believed the victims were plotting a counter-coup against then President Yahya Jammeh – all without giving their victims the benefit of a trial. Mboob concealed his involvement in war crimes and acts of persecution throughout his immigration and naturalization proceedings after entering the United States 2002, naturalizing as a U.S. citizen in 2011. But, in testimony before a hearing of The Gambian Truth, Reconciliation, and Reparations Commission (TRRC) held on April 9, 2019, Mr. Mboob admitted to executing his six fellow officers. The Unites States is seeking to revoke his certificate of naturalization because he obtained his U.S. citizenship illegally by concealing material fact and willfully misrepresented his military background.
- Kevin Robin Suarez (Age 31/Bolivia): Beginning in May 2016, and continuing for ten months after his January 2017 naturalization, Kevin Robin Suarez engaged in a conspiracy to purchase firearms through straw purchasers for the eventual exportation of the firearms to Bolivia and other Latin American countries. Working with his sister, Suarez solicited individuals to purchase firearms on their behalf from licensed federal firearms dealers and provided those firearms to Suarez’s father. These firearms were part of a larger network of gun trafficking from South Florida to Bolivia by Bolivian nationals in the United States. Once in Bolivia, the guns were often sent to drug trafficking organizations in Brazil, Paraguay, and Peru, fueling drug violence there. Suarez pled guilty to conspiracy to cause false statements to be made to federally-licensed firearms dealers, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371 and 18 U.S.C. § 924(a)(1)(A), in February 2020. Suarez illegally procured his naturalization as a United States citizen because his crime precluded the required good moral character to naturalize. Also, SUAREZ falsely testified under oath and misrepresented and concealed facts that were material to determining his naturalization eligibility.
- Abduvosit Razikov (Age 46/Uzbekistan): In 2005, Abduvosit Razikov, a native of Uzbekistan, paid a U.S. citizen to enter into a sham marriage with him so that he could procure permanent residency in the United States. Then, in 2007, Razikov paid another U.S. citizen to enter into a sham marriage with Razikov’s actual romantic partner so she could enter the United States from Uzbekistan. In 2010, Razikov divorced his U.S. citizen “wife,” and in 2012, he naturalized. Months later, Razikov engaged in a third sham marriage, this time marrying another Uzbekistani woman (not his own romantic partner) so she could obtain immigration benefits. The denaturalization complaint filed against Razikov alleges that he never lawfully acquired the permanent resident status required to naturalize because of his sham marriage and immigration fraud, that his unlawful acts and false testimony about those acts precluded him from establishing the good moral character required for naturalization, and that he obtained his naturalization by concealment or willful misrepresentation of materials facts.
- Abdallah Osman Sheikh (Age 28/Kenya): Abdallah Osman Sheikh, a resident of Fairdale, Kentucky, unlawfully procured his naturalization and obtained his naturalization by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation. Specifically, in July 2019, before he naturalized, but while he was in the Marines, Sheikh possessed indecent digital images of two minor individuals and posted an indecent digital image of one of them to his social media account. Those crimes and his efforts to hide those crimes from the government throughout his naturalization proceedings warrant Sheikh’s denaturalization pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1451(a). In addition, Sheikh naturalized based on his military service, but received an other than honorable discharge (for misconduct) from the U.S. Marines after failing to serve honorably for five years, warranting his denaturalization under 8 U.S.C. § 1440(c).
- Debashis Ghosh (Age 62/India): Before Debashis Ghosh naturalized, he conspired to defraud investors of $2.5 million intended for the construction of an aircraft maintenance facility. After naturalizing, Ghosh, a native of India, continued the fraudulent scheme, misrepresenting the location and safekeeping of the investor funding. But in his 2012 naturalization application and interview, Ghosh claimed that he had never committed a crime or offense for which he had not arrested. The denaturalization complaint against Ghosh alleges that he is subject to denaturalization because during the period in which he was statutorily required to demonstrate good moral character, he committed a crime involving moral turpitude, committed unlawful acts that adversely reflected on his moral character, and falsely testified about his crime. Additionally, Ghosh willfully misrepresented the material fact of his crime during his naturalization proceedings.
- Pin He (Age 53/China): After he was ordered removed under the name Chun Di He in 1992, Pin He applied for an immigration benefit the very next year under a different identity. That application was granted, and in 2007, Mr. He obtained permanent residence. In 2013, Defendant naturalized under the identity and immigration history of Pin He, without ever disclosing his prior removal order under the Chun Di He. Because Mr. He obtained his citizenship after concealing his prior identity and misrepresenting his eligibility for citizenship, the United States is seeking to revoke his certificate of naturalization.
- George Oyakhire (Age 66/Nigeria): Mr. Oyakhire naturalized under a false identity. Mr. Oyakhire, who was born in Nigeria, first entered the United States on October 18, 1986, using a visa issued in his true name, George Ofuan Oyakhire. Approximately two years later, on September 2, 1988, Mr. Oyakhire obtained temporary resident status using a false name, “Oliver Bennett Oyakhire,” and a false date of birth. On December 1, 1990, Mr. Oyakhire adjusted his status to that of a lawful permanent resident using the false Oliver Bennett Oyakhire identity. On September 12, 1995, again using the false Oliver Bennett Oyakhire identity, Mr. Oyakhire filed an application for naturalization, which was approved on March 22, 1996. On April 22, 1996, Mr. Oyakhire became a naturalized citizen, under the false name Oliver Bennett Oyakhire.
- Victor Manuel Rocha (Age 75/Colombia): Mr. Rocha is a native of Colombia who was convicted of serving as an unregistered agent for the Republic of Cuba. The U.S. seeks an order revoking Rocha’s naturalization based on his admission in criminal proceedings that he began spying for Cuba in 1973 before he naturalized in 1978. When he applied for naturalization, Rocha represented under penalty of perjury that he had not committed crimes for which he had not been arrested; he was not affiliated with the Communist Party of Cuba; he had not advocated, believed in, or knowingly supported and furthered the interests of Communism; and he believed in the U.S. Constitution and the form of government of the U.S. None of these were true.
These cases were prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation, Affirmative Litigation Unit, with assistance from USCIS, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Arizona, Southern District of Florida, Eastern District of California, District of Minnesota, Middle District of Florida, Western District of Kentucky, District of Columbia, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Southern District of Iowa, and Northern District of Illinois.
The claims made in the complaints are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against State of New Mexico and City of Albuquerque for Obstructing Federal Immigration EnforcementRead the Press Release
The United States has filed a complaint and motion for preliminary injunction against the State of New Mexico, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez, the City of Albuquerque, and Albuquerque Mayor Timothy Keller, alleging that the implementation of House Bill 9 (HB9), entitled the “Immigrant Safety Act,” and Albuquerque City Ordinance O-26-15, entitled the “Safer Community Places Ordinance (SCPO),” infringes on federal immigration enforcement authority.
Through HB9, the State of New Mexico is trying to abolish decades of long-standing, voluntary partnerships between local governments and federal authorities that are essential for enforcing immigration laws and keeping the federal immigration system running as Congress intended. Both HB9 and the SCPO seek to block federal agents from using any local government property to carry out their work. Additionally, by unlawfully requiring private businesses to tip off illegal aliens about immigration enforcement activities, the SCPO attempts to harbor and shield illegal aliens from detection by federal immigration authorities and poses an obstacle to the enforcement of federal immigration law.
“New Mexico is attempting to regulate immigration policy, something the federal government is clearly and uniquely empowered by the Constitution to do,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Our filings seek to halt the state’s unconstitutional actions by preserving cooperation between federal, state, and local law enforcement and allowing federal immigration officials to enforce the law.”
“The State of New Mexico and the City of Albuquerque seek to intentionally obstruct federal law enforcement by preventing cooperation between local governments and the federal government,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison for the District of New Mexico. “HB9 and the SCPO unlawfully interfere with federal immigration enforcement, illegally discriminate against federal operations, and violate constitutional protections regarding contracts and federal supremacy. Additionally, by barring public entities from participating in federal immigration detention in New Mexico, HB9 jeopardizes nearly 300 jobs and the economy of Otero County. Our lawsuit asks the court to declare these laws invalid and issue an immediate injunction to stop them from being enforced.”
Upon taking office, President Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border to address a security and public safety crisis caused by previous Open Border policies. On February 5, 2025, the Attorney General instructed the Department’s Civil Division to identify state and local laws, policies, and practices that facilitate violations of federal immigration laws or impede lawful federal immigration operations. On August 5, 2025, the Attorney General published a list of sanctuary jurisdictions, which included Albuquerque, and vowed to bring litigation to end these policies nationwide. Today’s lawsuit in New Mexico is the latest in a series of lawsuits targeting illegal sanctuary jurisdiction policies across the country.
Under President Trump’s mandate, the federal government is exercising its proper constitutional authority to remove criminal aliens from the United States. Central to this mission are long-standing, voluntary agreements between federal and local agencies that allow state and local officials to assist with the investigation, transportation, and detention of illegal aliens. The federal government relies heavily on these partnerships, which have operated successfully in New Mexico for decades, to fulfill its immigration enforcement duties and keep New Mexicans safe.
The case is United States v. State of New Mexico et al., No. 1:26-cv-01471 in U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico.
The claims asserted by the United States are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Illegal Aliens Arrested for Running Alien Smuggling Operation in PhoenixRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Five illegal aliens were arrested last week for running an alien smuggling operation in Phoenix following an investigation led by agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol Intelligence Unit and Homeland Security Investigations.
Rigoberto Rangel-Mora, 40, of Mexico, Jesus Marin-Esquivel, 52, of Mexico, Ingrid Bolanos-Gomez, 41, of Guatemala, Alejandro Ambrocio-Espinosa, 32, of Mexico, and Enrique Cervantes-Barrera, 48, of Mexico, were indicted by a federal grand jury Tuesday for Conspiracy to Transport and Habor Illegal Aliens based on their participation in the alien smuggling operation.
According to court documents, investigators located a residence in Phoenix being used as a stash house to harbor aliens before members of the conspiracy would transport them throughout the United States. Investigators identified and conducted surveillance on several older model minivans that were observed making trips across the country, often with charity license plates attached.
On April 28, investigators conducted a traffic stop on one of the minivans near Cordes Lakes, Arizona, and identified Ambrocio-Espinosa as the driver and Cervantes-Barrera as the front seat passenger. Agents discovered that they were transporting 11 aliens in the minivan, including one individual who was forced to ride in the trunk.
On April 30, investigators executed federal search warrants at a residence and two apartments in Phoenix. At the residence, investigators discovered 17 aliens that the smuggling organization was harboring. At another apartment, investigators discovered five additional aliens the organization was harboring. Investigators identified Rangel-Mora as the caretaker of the stash house and the remaining charged co-conspirators as drivers who conduct cross-country trips with smuggled aliens.
At the stash house, the harbored aliens told investigators that while at the residence, they were confined to bedrooms, told not to leave the house, and were unable to make calls. They further reported filthy living conditions, not having enough food, and being required to sleep on the floor.
A conviction for Conspiracy to Transport and Habor Illegal Aliens carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 and a maximum term of three years of supervised release.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol Intelligence Unit and Homeland Security Investigations, Douglas, Arizona, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Greve and Ryan McCarthy, District of Arizona, Phoenix, are handling the prosecution.
An Indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CASE NUMBER: 26-MJ-5182 and 26-MJ-5192; 26-CR-462
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-071_ Rangel-Mora et al
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Illegal Alien from Mexico Pleads Guilty for His Role in an International Conspiracy to Smuggle Aliens from Canada into the U.S.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON — An alien from Mexico pleaded guilty yesterday for his role in an international human smuggling conspiracy that illegally brought aliens from Mexico, Central, and South America across the northern border with Canada into the United States for profit.
According to court documents, Edgar Sanchez-Solis, 24, was a leader in an alien smuggling organization (ASO) while he was living illegally in Kansas City, Missouri. The ASO smuggled hundreds of aliens into the United States. Once the aliens were inside the U.S., the ASO employed drivers to pick them up and drive them further into the country. The defendant personally participated in and coordinated smuggling events with other leaders of the ASO. During one smuggling event in May 2023, a van carrying aliens became involved in a high-speed chase with U.S. Border Patrol. Border Patrol had to stop their pursuit due to the risk to the public. Ultimately the local sheriff’s department used a tire deflation device to stop the vehicle after it failed to yield.
Sanchez-Solis pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling and five counts of alien smuggling for commercial advantage and private financial gain. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 10, 2026. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III for the Northern District of New York, and Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Buffalo Field Office made today’s announcement.
FAUSA Sarcone stated: “The defendant was a leader of an alien smuggling organization that smuggled hundreds of aliens into the United States during the prior administrations unprecedented open border policy. The defendant has ties to Canada and Mexico, but he coordinated many of the smuggling events while he was also illegally living in the United States. This defendant exploited Canada’s lax visitor visa policy and used Canada as a waypoint for unvetted aliens traveling from Mexico looking for a way into the United States. This conviction sends a message that the North Country will not tolerate illegal immigration along its border, and the Northern District of New York and its federal partners in law enforcement will identify, apprehend, and prosecute alien smugglers to the fullest extent of the law.”
HSI SAC Erin Keegan stated: “By pleading guilty, Edgar Sanchez-Solis has admitted his role in an international human smuggling conspiracy that moved dozens of aliens through Canada into northern New York for profit and put the public at risk with dangerous high-speed attempts to flee from law enforcement. His conviction is a significant blow to that criminal network and sends a clear message that HSI Rouses Point and our partners with the Department of Justice and the U.S. Border Patrol will not tolerate smugglers who exploit our borders and endanger our communities.”
HSI Rouses Point and U.S. Border Patrol Burke Station investigated the case, with substantial assistance from HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. and CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carling Dunham for the Northern District of New York and Trial Attorney Spencer M. Perry of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section prosecuted the case.
The investigation and indictment were supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant United States Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 455 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 400 U.S. convictions; and more than 345 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and other transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood.###
Illegal Alien from Guatemala Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the CountryRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Guatemalan man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for reentering the United States after a prior removal.
U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neuman sentenced Elmer Enrique Ramirez-Ardon, 33, to time served. He pleaded guilty on April 16, 2026.
According to court records, on March 12, 2026, U.S. Border Patrol Agents in Franklin County were driving near Stratton when they observed a white box truck heading north towards the U.S.Canadian border. Ramirez-Ardon was in the truck’s passenger seat. After observing the truck and its occupants, the agents suspected it contained aliens. They stopped the truck after it reversed direction and began travelling south towards the interior of the state.
During a subsequent roadside immigration inspection, agents determined that the truck’s two occupants were, in fact, aliens without lawful authority to be in the country. They were transported to the Rangeley Border Patrol Station for processing, at which time agents determined that Ramirez-Ardon, a citizen of Guatemala, had been ordered deported and removed from the country in 2014.
The U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case.
Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Honduran Man Sentenced to Federal Prison as Part of Operation Take Back AmericaRead the Press Release
Carlos Castro-Izaguirre, 37, from Honduras, was sentenced on May 8, 2026, in federal court in Sioux City.
On October 21, 2025, Castro-Izaguirre pled guilty to illegal reentry. Evidence in the case showed that on May 19, 2024, Castro-Izaguirre was arrested in Buena Vista County, Iowa, for operating while intoxicated. Castro-Izaguirre was released before ICE could conduct an interview. An investigation revealed Castro-Izaguirre was a citizen of Honduras and was previously removed from the United States on two previous occasions. A biometric confirmation was received on the Alien Criminal Response Information Management System (ACRIME) when a positive match of fingerprints identified the individual as Carlos Daniel Castro-Izaguirre. As a result of the positive match of fingerprints, further investigation into Castro-Izaguirre revealed he was removed from the United States to Honduras on two previous occasions in 2009 and 2019. Prior to his first removal, Castro-Izaguirre was convicted in the Iowa District Court for Cherokee County, Iowa, for delivery of methamphetamine in 2007 and sentenced to prison. Thereafter, Castro-Izaguirre never applied for lawful re-entry or lawful admission into the United States as required by law. He was found in Hidalgo, Texas, in 2017 and was convicted in federal court there of illegal reentry and sentenced to federal prison. Castro-Izaguirre was then returned to Honduras in 2019. He reentered the United States at an unknown time thereafter.
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Castro-Izaguirre to 30 months’ imprisonment and 2 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Castro-Izaguirre remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4059. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Grant County Sentenced for Attempted Enticement of a Minor and Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – A Crittenden, Ky., man, Robert Luke Divine, 30, was sentenced on Friday to 235 months by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning for attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and distribution of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, on January 15, 2025, the Boone County Sheriff’s Department conducted a sting operation and Divine showed up to a hotel for the purpose of having sex with a woman and her 14-year-old daughter. When deputies arrested him, Divine admitted why he was there and that he had child pornography on his cell phone. Law enforcement searched his electronic devices (including an Apple iPad) and found a trove of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), including evidence that Divine traded CSAM with another person via Telegram in December 2024. Divine’s iPad contained 335 videos and thousands of images of child sexual abuse material, including files that depicted bestiality and minors under the age of 12.
Under federal law, Divine must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 20 years.
Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Colin Jackson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Les K. Hill, Boone County Sheriff, announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the HSI and Boone County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine Leonhard is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Gaffney Woman Sentenced to More than 10 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Angela Upchurch, 38, of Gaffney, has been sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison for her role in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Upchurch conspired with Mikayluh and Mikenzi Walker, Jonathan Sarratt, and others to distribute methamphetamine throughout the Upstate. Sarratt coordinated the distribution of drugs while serving a sentence at the South Carolina Department of Corrections, and the Walker twins funneled the drugs to sub-distributors, including Upchurch. Upchurch was held accountable for distributing 15 pounds of methamphetamine from 2023 through 2024. Upchurch has a prior conviction for accessory after the fact to trafficking from 2017.“This drug conspiracy funneled pounds upon pounds of dangerous methamphetamine into the Upstate,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “Our office is proud to work with our law enforcement partners to remove these drug dealers from our streets and keep our community safe.”
“Methamphetamine trafficking devastates families and communities, fueling addiction and violence across our nation,” said Mark M. Zito, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in North and South Carolina. “This sentence reflects the unwavering commitment of HSI and our law enforcement partners to disrupt criminal networks and protect the homeland. Through collaboration and determination, we are holding traffickers accountable and making our communities safer.”
United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins sentenced Angela Upchurch to 130 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Judge Coggins had previously sentenced Jonathan Sarratt to 300 months imprisonment, Mikayluh Walker to 276 months, and Mikenzi Walker to 180 months.
This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Greenville comprises agents and officers from state, local, and federal agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville Police Department, Greenville County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit, South Carolina Department of Corrections Office of Inspector General, and Anderson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Lea Schoen is prosecuting the case.###
Four Defendants Convicted in Plot to Kill Haitian President Jovenel MoïseRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Miami today convicted four defendants for their roles in the July 7, 2021, assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse.
Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, Antonio Intriago, Walter Veintemilla, and James Solages were convicted of conspiracy to provide material support or resources to carry out a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 956, resulting in death; providing material support and resources to carry out a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 956, resulting in death; conspiracy to kill and kidnap a person outside the United States; conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States; and expedition against a friendly nation. Intriago was also convicted of a third count of conspiracy to commit offenses against the U.S.; smuggling goods from the U.S.; and submitting false or misleading export information.
“These defendants conspired to replace and ultimately to assassinate Haitian President Jovenel Moïse,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Using U.S. soil as a staging ground for a violent plot overseas is a grave violation of our laws and, more fundamentally, our sovereignty. We commend the investigative and prosecution team for their exceptional work.”
“This verdict delivers justice for the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse and holds accountable those who helped turn South Florida into a staging ground for a deadly foreign plot,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “These defendants pursued power, influence, and profit through violence. They supported a conspiracy that crossed borders, destabilized a friendly nation, and ended with the murder of a sitting president. The jury has spoken, and the rule of law has answered.”
“The FBI is going to leverage everything at its disposal to go after conspirators of assassinations,” said Assistant Director Heith Janke of the FBI’s Criminal Division. “Those convicted today played key roles in furthering the capacity for political violence with the aim of reaping the financial benefits of the disorder that followed. We would like to thank our partners who helped ensure that those involved faced justice for their disregard for the rule of law and the life of another human being.”
“Today’s verdict sends an unequivocal message: the United States will not serve as a staging ground for those seeking to destabilize foreign nations through violence. While the assassination of President Moïse was carried out on Haitian soil, the conspiracy was fueled by greed and orchestrated within our own borders,” said Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of FBI Miami. “By holding these four men accountable for their roles in this cold-blooded attack, we are honoring the rule of law and ensuring that those who profit from political chaos find no refuge.”
“This case exposed a far-reaching criminal conspiracy driven by power, profit, and political ambition that extended well beyond Haiti’s borders,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jose R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami. “HSI and our partners followed the evidence across jurisdictions and international boundaries to help hold accountable those responsible for this heinous plot to assassinate a sitting president and destabilize a partner nation.”
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Pretel Ortiz, Intriago, Veintemilla, and Solages embarked on a scheme in early 2021 to violently overthrow President Moïse and install their handpicked successor so that the defendants could obtain lucrative government contracts in Haiti. To carry out the plot, the defendants recruited allies in the U.S., Colombia, and Haiti, including 22 former Colombian Army soldiers and Haitian gang leaders. Eight of the co-conspirators, including two of the Colombian mercenaries and several of the group’s Haitian and American allies, pleaded guilty for their roles in the conspiracy, and six of them testified at trial.
Between April and July 2021, the defendants developed and refined multiple plans to kidnap or kill President Moïse. From late May to early June 2021, the group discussed a plan to kidnap President Moïse at his sister’s house, drug him, and force him to resign. When that failed, the defendants switched tactics and developed a new strategy for kidnapping President Moïse when he returned from an international trip on June 19, 2021. Many of these schemes relied on the defendants’ putative Haitian gang allies. Ultimately, the defendants decided to order their Colombian mercenaries to attack President Moïse’s home and kill him. In preparation, co-conspirators in Haiti obtained black-market weapons and ammunition for the Colombian mercenaries.
On July 7, 2021, Solages and a team of Colombian mercenaries carried out the attack on President Moïse’s residence with the help of several Haitian allies. During the assault, a squad of former Colombian special forces soldiers, called the Delta Team, along with other mercenaries stormed the residence, fatally shot President Moïse in his bedroom, and seriously wounded the First Lady of Haiti, Martine Moïse. Trial evidence established that bullets recovered from President Moïse during the autopsy, and another recovered from First Lady Moïse during surgery, matched a rifle carried and used by the Colombian Delta Team. Extensive digital communications introduced at trial further showed that the defendants spent months discussing and coordinating plans to kidnap or kill President Moïse.
Veintemilla played a central role in financing the conspiracy. Starting in April 2021, Veintemilla agreed to finance the scheme through a $175,000 loan agreement financed with proceeds derived from others’ Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) funds that were funneled through an account controlled by a co-conspirator. Trial evidence also showed that Veintemilla was involved in the operational details. After learning of the assassination in the early morning hours of July 7, 2021, Veintemilla immediately called a co-conspirator and proclaimed: “the rat (President Moïse) is in the box.”
Pretel Ortiz, who referred to himself as “Colonel Gabriel” and routinely wore fake U.S. military-style uniforms, rank, and insignia, directed the plot’s tactical planning and operation, including coordinating with the Colombian mercenaries. Hours before the assassination, Pretel Ortiz told his co-defendants: “I put my men on the ground and we are still fighting to reach the objective.”
Intriago, Pretel Ortiz’s business partner, handled the day-to-day logistical aspects of the plot, including payroll, equipment, and provisions for the co-conspirators. On June 10, 2021, Intriago helped smuggle bulletproof vests and other tactical equipment—including radios, flashlights, and goggles—from Miami to Haiti for use by the Colombian mercenaries during the assassination. In late June 2021, Intriago traveled to Haiti and photographed himself with the group’s Haitian allies. On the eve of the assassination, Intriago messaged his co-conspirators: “We finally got the tools to do the work.”
Solages served as the defendants’ primary liaison in Haiti and repeatedly traveled between South Florida and Haiti to coordinate with Haitian gang leaders, obtain weapons and ammunition in Haiti, and conduct surveillance of President Moïse’s residence. Solages also accompanied the Colombian mercenaries during the attack and instructed them to kill everyone inside the house, including “the dog, the cat, and parrot.”
All four defendants face maximum penalties of life in prison. U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Becerra for the Southern District of Florida will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
FBI Miami and HSI Miami investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the Department of State; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement; and the Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean McLaughlin, Jason Wu, and Altanese Phenelus for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Andrew Briggs of the Justice Department’s National Security Division Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
Four Defendants Convicted in Plot to Kill Haitian President Jovenel MoïseRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal jury in Miami convicted four defendants for their roles in the July 7, 2021, assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse.
Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, Antonio Intriago, Walter Veintemilla, and James Solages were convicted of conspiracy to provide material support or resources to carry out a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 956, resulting in death; providing material support and resources to carry out a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 956, resulting in death; conspiracy to kill and kidnap a person outside the United States; conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States; and expedition against a friendly nation. Intriago was also convicted of a third count of conspiracy to commit offenses against the U.S.; smuggling goods from the U.S.; and submitting false or misleading export information. All four defendants face life in prison. U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Becerra will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“These defendants conspired to replace and ultimately to assassinate Haitian President Jovenel Moïse,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Using U.S. soil as a staging ground for a violent plot overseas is a grave violation of our laws and, more fundamentally, our sovereignty. We commend the investigative and prosecution team for their exceptional work.”
“This verdict delivers justice for the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse and holds accountable those who helped turn South Florida into a staging ground for a deadly foreign plot,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “These defendants pursued power, influence, and profit through violence. They supported a conspiracy that crossed borders, destabilized a friendly nation, and ended with the murder of a sitting president. The jury has spoken, and the rule of law has answered.”
“The FBI is going to leverage everything at its disposal to go after conspirators of assassinations,” said Assistant Director Heith Janke of the FBI’s Criminal Division. “Those convicted today played key roles in furthering the capacity for political violence with the aim of reaping the financial benefits of the disorder that followed. We would like to thank our partners who helped ensure that those involved faced justice for their disregard for the rule of law and the life of another human being.”
“Today’s verdict sends an unequivocal message: the United States will not serve as a staging ground for those seeking to destabilize foreign nations through violence. While the assassination of President Moïse was carried out on Haitian soil, the conspiracy was fueled by greed and orchestrated within our own borders,” said Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of FBI Miami. “By holding these four men accountable for their roles in this cold-blooded attack, we are honoring the rule of law and ensuring that those who profit from political chaos find no refuge.”
“This case exposed a far-reaching criminal conspiracy driven by power, profit, and political ambition that extended well beyond Haiti’s borders,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jose R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami. “HSI and our partners followed the evidence across jurisdictions and international boundaries to help hold accountable those responsible for this heinous plot to assassinate a sitting president and destabilize a partner nation.”
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Pretel Ortiz, Intriago, Veintemilla, and Solages embarked on a scheme in early 2021 to violently overthrow President Moïse and install their handpicked successor so that the defendants could obtain lucrative government contracts in Haiti. To carry out the plot, the defendants recruited allies in the U.S., Colombia, and Haiti, including 22 former Colombian Army soldiers and Haitian gang leaders. Eight of the co-conspirators, including two of the Colombian mercenaries and several of the group’s Haitian and American allies, pleaded guilty for their roles in the conspiracy, and six of them testified at trial.
Between April and July 2021, the defendants developed and refined multiple plans to kidnap or kill President Moïse. From late May to early June 2021, the group discussed a plan to kidnap President Moïse at his sister’s house, drug him, and force him to resign. When that failed, the defendants switched tactics and developed a new strategy for kidnapping President Moïse when he returned from an international trip on June 19, 2021. Many of these schemes relied on the defendants’ putative Haitian gang allies. Ultimately, the defendants decided to order their Colombian mercenaries to attack President Moïse’s home and kill him. In preparation, co-conspirators in Haiti obtained black-market weapons and ammunition for the Colombian mercenaries.
On July 7, 2021, Solages and a team of Colombian mercenaries carried out the attack on President Moïse’s residence with the help of several Haitian allies. During the assault, a squad of former Colombian special forces soldiers, called the Delta Team, along with other mercenaries stormed the residence, fatally shot President Moïse in his bedroom, and seriously wounded the First Lady of Haiti, Martine Moïse. Trial evidence established that bullets recovered from President Moïse during the autopsy, and another recovered from First Lady Moïse during surgery, matched a rifle carried and used by the Colombian Delta Team. Extensive digital communications introduced at trial further showed that the defendants spent months discussing and coordinating plans to kidnap or kill President Moïse.
Veintemilla played a central role in financing the conspiracy. Starting in April 2021, Veintemilla agreed to finance the scheme through a $175,000 loan agreement financed with proceeds derived from others’ Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) funds that were funneled through an account controlled by a co-conspirator. Trial evidence also showed that Veintemilla was involved in the operational details. After learning of the assassination in the early morning hours of July 7, 2021, Veintemilla immediately called a co-conspirator and proclaimed: “the rat (President Moïse) is in the box.”
Pretel Ortiz, who referred to himself as “Colonel Gabriel” and routinely wore fake U.S. military-style uniforms, rank, and insignia, directed the plot’s tactical planning and operation, including coordinating with the Colombian mercenaries. Hours before the assassination, Pretel Ortiz told his co-defendants: “I put my men on the ground and we are still fighting to reach the objective.”
Intriago, Pretel Ortiz’s business partner, handled the day-to-day logistical aspects of the plot, including payroll, equipment, and provisions for the co-conspirators. On June 10, 2021, Intriago helped smuggle bulletproof vests and other tactical equipment—including radios, flashlights, and goggles—from Miami to Haiti for use by the Colombian mercenaries during the assassination. In late June 2021, Intriago traveled to Haiti and photographed himself with the group’s Haitian allies. On the eve of the assassination, Intriago messaged his co-conspirators: “We finally got the tools to do the work.”
Solages served as the defendants’ primary liaison in Haiti and repeatedly traveled between South Florida and Haiti to coordinate with Haitian gang leaders, obtain weapons and ammunition in Haiti, and conduct surveillance of President Moïse’s residence. Solages also accompanied the Colombian mercenaries during the attack and instructed them to kill everyone inside the house, including “the dog, the cat, and parrot.”
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones, Special Agent in Charge Skiles, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Figueroa made the announcement.
FBI Miami and HSI Miami investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the Department of State; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement; and the Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean McLaughlin, Jason Wu, and Altanese Phenelus for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Andrew Briggs of the Justice Department’s National Security Division Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-20104.
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Former Primary Health Network Facilities Manager Sentenced to 2.5 Years in Prison for Role in Defrauding Non-Profit Medical OrganizationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former facilities manager for Primary Health Network (PHN), a non-profit medical organization headquartered in Sharon, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 30 months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release, for conspiring to commit wire fraud and money laundering and for filing a false tax return, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on Mark Marriott, 59, of Sharpsville, Pennsylvania.
Two of Marriott’s co-conspirators, PHN’s former CEOs Drew Pierce and Jack Laeng, were both sentenced in April 2026, with Pierce sentenced to 40 months of imprisonment and Laeng to 24 months of imprisonment (read the news release on those sentencings here).
“This prosecution reflects the unfortunate reality of executives abusing their positions of power to commit fraud on a non-profit organization,” said United States Attorney Rivetti. “The sentences here appropriately reflect the serious nature of the defendants’ offenses, and the extensive harm that results from this fraud. Our office and our law enforcement partners will continue to investigate and prosecute these important cases.”
“These crimes are not victimless, and this was not a mistake or a lapse in judgment,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Richard Evanchec. “This FBI and our partners will continue to uncover and prosecute those who think they can hide calculated fraud schemes under the guise of contracts, middlemen, and paperwork. After years of deception and millions of dollars stolen, these individuals are now being held accountable for their crimes.”
“IRS-CI and our federal law enforcement partners will aggressively pursue individuals who scheme to defraud healthcare institutions and ultimately victimize the people those institutions serve,” said Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Philadelphia Field Office Special Agent in Charge Yury Kruty. “Today’s sentence, along with the sentences previously handed down in this case, show that those who commit such offenses will be held to account.”
According to information presented to the Court, Marriott engaged in three schemes to defraud PHN. First, Marriott conspired with Pierce, Laeng, and others in a scheme in which they inserted a company called TopCoat between PHN and the company’s legitimate vendors. PHN paid TopCoat, which provided no services other than to pay the true vendors a lesser price. PHN’s board of directors was unaware that TopCoat performed no actual work and was made up entirely of PHN insiders. The TopCoat scheme caused a loss to PHN of more than $500,000. Second, Marriott engaged in a scheme in which he directed a PHN vendor to provide inflated invoices to PHN in order to fund kickback payments made to Marriott, Pierce, and a company Marriott owned with Pierce. Third, Marriott and Pierce used PHN funds to pay for their own personal expenses. Additionally, Marriott failed to report some of the proceeds of the schemes on his federal income tax returns.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Ranjan stated that Marriott played a critical part and active role in the schemes to defraud PHN, and noted the needs for just punishment and general deterrence in his sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorneys William B. Guappone and Jeffrey R. Bengel prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Marriott.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Former NFL Player Sentenced to over 16 Years in Prison for $197M Medicare FraudRead the Press Release
A former NFL player who owned a marketing company and was the beneficial owner of eight durable medical equipment (DME) companies was sentenced yesterday to 196 months in prison for his role in a yearslong scheme to bilk Medicare and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) out of nearly $200 million by selling patient information and sham doctors’ orders for orthotic braces that patients did not want or need.
In addition to the prison sentence, the defendant, Joel Rufus French, 47, of Armory, Mississippi, was ordered to pay $110,753,619 in restitution and to forfeit approximately $17 million that the government seized from bank accounts and other assets.
“Fueled by lies, bribes, and overseas telemarketers, this corrupt scheme preyed on senior citizens and disabled veterans to flood the country with unnecessary medical devices — and then billed the taxpayer for it,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “Today’s sentence makes clear that if you target America’s elderly, sick, or vulnerable — and rob America’s purse doing so — you will be targeted and brought to justice.”
“The defendant orchestrated a brazen, yearslong scheme that preyed on elderly patients and the families of disabled and deceased veterans to steal millions from Medicare and CHAMPVA,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS‑OIG). “By hiding behind overseas call centers, sham telemedicine companies, and straw‑owned DME suppliers, he exploited some of the most vulnerable people these programs were created to protect. This lengthy sentence underscores the seriousness of his crimes and sends a clear message: HHS‑OIG and our law enforcement partners remain steadfast in safeguarding taxpayer‑funded programs and ensuring those who seek to defraud them will be found, stopped, and held accountable.”
“Schemes such as these compromise the integrity of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) programs and services and divert funds from our nation’s deserving veterans and their families,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Greg Wentz of the VA Office of Inspector General (VA OIG) Southeast Field Office. “The VA OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to root out fraudsters and hold them accountable.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, French worked with overseas telemarketing call centers that pressured elderly Americans to provide their personal and health insurance information and agree to accept medically unnecessary orthotic braces. In certain instances, the call centers altered call recordings to make it seem like Medicare patients agreed to the braces when they did not.
French paid sham telemedicine companies kickbacks to obtain signed doctors’ orders from doctors and nurse practitioners who never examined, and often never even spoke to, the patients. He sold the orders to marketers and medical supply companies, which then submitted claims to Medicare. French also defrauded Medicare and CHAMPVA, the health care program for spouses and children of veterans who have or had a permanent and total service-connected disability or who died from a service-connected condition, by billing the programs for orthotic braces through eight DME supply companies that he owned and managed, using straw owners and false documents to hide his connection to the companies from Medicare. French also laundered approximately $225,000 in cash from a bank in Mississippi, over $10,000 of which was placed in a bag and driven to Orlando to pay accomplices who sold him beneficiaries’ personal and insurance information.
After a six-day jury trial ending in February, French was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to offer, pay, solicit, and receive kickbacks.
HHS-OIG, FBI, and VA OIG investigated the case.
Acting Assistant Chief Catherine Wagner and Trial Attorney William Hochul III of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Former Catahoula Prison Warden, Assistant Warden, and Other Supervisors Indicted for Abusing 13 Handcuffed Prisoners with an Electric Riot Shield and for Trying to Cover It up; One Former Officer Pleads Guilty to Falsifying Reports and Related AbuseRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT– On May 7, a federal grand jury in Shreveport returned a thirty-four count indictment charging several former managers of the Catahoula Parish Correctional Center (“CPCC”) with crimes relating to the use of an electrified riot shield to shock and crush 13 handcuffed, non-resisting prisoners:
Jeremy Wiley, 44 of Harrisonburg, the former Warden of CPCC, was charged with 13 counts of abuse of rights under color of law for using the electrified riot shield to shock and crush the 13 handcuffed, non-resisting prisoners.
Gary Allen, 57 of Winnsboro, CPCC’s former Assistant Warden, William Savage, 57 of Monroe, CPCC’s former Colonel, and James Wathen, 37 of Jonesville, CPCC’s former chief of security, were charged with 13 counts of abuse of rights for their failures to intervene to stop the assaults.
Chad Littleton, 45 of Harrisonburg, a former Catahoula Parish Sheriff’s Deputy, was charged with one count of abuse of rights for striking a prisoner in the head and genitals.
All five men were also charged with conspiring to violate the rights of the prisoners as well as falsifying reports about the incident. Allen also faces one count of witness tampering. In addition, on April 14, Carl Michael Williamson, 40 of Jonesville, a former CPCC transportation officer, pleaded guilty in a related case to one count of abuse of rights under color of law for striking one of the inmates in the head and one count of falsifying a report which covered up the abuse of the 13 prisoners.
The defendants face up to ten years imprisonment on the abuse of rights and conspiracy counts, and up to twenty years imprisonment on the false report and witness tampering offenses.
“The facts as alleged dishonor the men and women who put their safety on the line every day to maintain order in our prison system, and they are a disgraceful abuse of the trust that we place in them to treat people in prison with dignity and respect,” said United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “The Department of Justice will zealously investigate and prosecute any officer—no matter their title or rank—who tarnishes the badge worn by the brave men and women of Louisiana’s law enforcement community.”
“The FBI will not tolerate law enforcement officers’ criminal abuse and mistreatment of prisoners in their custody,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. “We will diligently investigate allegations such as these and hold the perpetrators accountable. The FBI is grateful for its law enforcement partners and especially the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana for its work on this case.”
According to court documents, on February 1, 2024, then-Warden Wiley used an electrified riot shield to shock and crush 13 men in the custody of CPCC while they were handcuffed, compliant, and subdued by pepper spray in a CPCC recreation yard. Allen, Savage, and Wathen, who were high-ranking supervisors at the facility, had the means and opportunity to stop the abuse but instead chose not to intervene. Littleton and Williamson continued the assault by also striking prisoners. All six of the men wrote false reports to cover up what happened, and Allen continued the obstructive activity by tampering with a witness. Before the assault, the 13 prisoners had been housed in “Cell 12,” a cell containing six beds, for several days. The prisoners were transported to the rec yard where the assault occurred shortly after they started a non-violent protest regarding their overcrowded living conditions.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Johnson and LaDonte Murphy with assistance from Legal Assistant Tanya Broussard.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer. The case number for United States v. Jeremy Wiley et al. is 26-CR-00190, and the case number for United States v. Carl Williamson is 26-CR-00127.
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CONTACT: Public Affairs USALAW-News@usdoj.gov
United States Attorney’s Office www.justice.gov/usao-wdla
Western District of Louisiana Twitter @USAO_WDLA
Former CEO of Healthcare Company Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for His Role in $212 Million Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The former chief executive officer of a publicly traded healthcare services company was sentenced on May 5, 2026, for his role in a large-scale conspiracy to defraud investors in connection with the purchase or sale of the company’s securities, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
Parmjit Parmar, a/k/a “Paul Parmar,” 55, of Colts Neck, New Jersey, had pleaded guilty on May 7, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Parmar was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment, three years’ supervised release, and ordered to pay more than $125 million in victim restitution.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From May 2015 through September 2017, Parmar and his conspirators, including Sotirios Zaharis, a/k/a “Sam Zaharis,” and Ravi Chivukula orchestrated an elaborate scheme to defraud a private investment firm and others out of hundreds of millions of dollars in connection with the funding of a transaction to take private a healthcare services company traded publicly on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market. To fund the transaction, the private investment firm put up approximately $82.5 million and a consortium of financial institutions put up another $130 million, for a total of approximately $212.5 million. The coconspirators utilized fraudulent methods to grossly inflate the value of the company and tricked others into believing that it was worth substantially more than its actual value.
Parmar and the conspirators sought to raise tens of millions of dollars in the public markets, purportedly to fund the company’s acquisitions of various operating subsidiaries. In reality, a number of those entities either did not exist or had only a fraction of the operating income attributed to them. The conspirators funneled the proceeds of these secondary offerings through bank accounts they controlled and used the money for a variety of purposes that had nothing to do with acquiring the purported targets. The conspirators went to great lengths to make it appear that these funds were revenue, concocting phony customers and altering bank statements to make it appear as if the funds were coming from customers.
To perpetuate the scheme, Parmar and his conspirators also falsified and fabricated bank records of subsidiary entities in order to generate a phony picture of Comrevenue streams and made material misrepresentations and omissions to the private investment firm and others.
Parmar and his conspirators’ actions caused victims to value the company at more than $300 million for purposes of financing the transaction to take the company private. The scheme was uncovered in September 2017, when Parmar and his conspirators resigned from their positions with the company or were terminated. On March 16, 2018, the company and numerous of its affiliated entities filed for bankruptcy, attributing the company’s financial demise, in large part, to the fraud scheme.
U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, with assistance from FBI Headquarters Forensic Accountant Support Team.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys George M. Barchini of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit and Kelly M. Lyons of the Economic Crimes Unit, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorneys Olta Bejleri of the Economic Crimes Unit, Carolyn Silane, Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit, and Peter A. Laserna, Chief of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel for Parmar: John H. Hemann, Esq., San Francisco, CA; Andrew D. Goldstein, Victoria R. Pasculli, Esqs., New York, NY; Anuva V. Ganapathi, Esq., Palo Alto, CA
First Week of May Brings 215 New Federal Immigration Cases to Western District of Texas, Including El Paso Stash House BustRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 215 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from May 1 to May 7, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. Charges were brought against human smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for numerous DWIs, violent crime, drug trafficking, theft, and multiple prior removals.
Among the new cases, U.S. citizen Bryan Fernando Guillen was charged with alien smuggling after U.S. Border Patrol agents allegedly observed him dropping off an illegal alien at a stash house in El Paso. A criminal complaint alleges that, on May 4, Guillen was the driver of a Mercedez-Benz that had been under investigation and seen in a TikTok video that was also under investigation for posting content associated with alien smuggling. USBP agents pursued the Mercedes, which allegedly failed to yield to their emergency lights, and continued driving recklessly at a high rate of speed. The complaint alleges that the vehicle was found abandoned at the Ysleta Port of Entry, and that Guillen and a passenger were ultimately arrested as they attempted to run into Mexico through the POE’s southbound vehicle lanes. Agents determined the passenger was not involved in alien smuggling and was released from custody. Guillen, however, allegedly was aware of 12 illegal aliens located at the stash house and had been working with co-conspirators for approximately seven months in several capacities related to human smuggling and harboring illegal aliens.
The May 4 stash house operation in El Paso also resulted in the arrests of Bryan Adrian Flores-Martinez and Hector Emigdio Navarro-Olivas. A criminal complaint alleges that USBP agents observed a red pickup truck traveling from the residence on West Paisano drive to an area near Asarco, where fresh, wet, muddy footprints from six individuals were also found. The complaint alleges that the truck returned to the residence and dropped off six illegal aliens before departing again. Shortly after, Flores-Martinez and Navarro-Olivas allegedly arrived back at the stash house and were seen carrying grocery bags into the residence before departing again. The following day, according to the complaint, Flores-Martinez and Navarro-Olivas were arrested when they sought admission into the U.S. at the Paso Del Norte POE.
On May 2, Salvadoran national David Antonio Lazo-Alvarenga was allegedly found in a field approximately six miles east of the Tornillo POE. A felon, Lazo-Alvarenga has been convicted of three DWIs and was deported for the fourth time on June 23, 2025.
Alexi Evaristo Turcios-Nunez, an illegal alien from Honduras, faces an illegal re-entry charge in Del Rio. Turcios-Nunez was convicted of aggravated sexual assault in June 2019. He’s been previously removed from the U.S. twice, the last being May 21, 2025.
Mexican national Jose Alexis Alarcon-De La O was arrested by USBP agents on May 3 near Maverick, having been removed from the U.S. in March for the second time. In 2017, he was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Prior to that felony conviction, he was twice convicted for theft of property and once for sale of stolen property.
Hugo Gonzalez-Santa Cruz, also an illegal alien from Mexico, was charged with illegal re-entry after being found in the Travis County Jail following an arrest for assault causing bodily injury. He’s been removed from the U.S. twice, the last being in 2017, and has two DWI convictions.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Felon Sentenced for Possessing a Loaded Firearm and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A prior felon was sentenced today for methamphetamine and firearms possession, announced U.S. Attorney
Clint Johnson.U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Wyatt Eugene Rogers, 39, for Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute and Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Rogers was ordered to serve 90 months imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release.
Sapulpa Police officers pulled over Rogers for a traffic violation in September 2024. During the traffic stop, Rogers told the officer that he did not have a valid driver’s license or car insurance. After a records check, officers learned that Rogers was previously convicted of drug possession. Court documents show that officers observed Rogers moving around in the vehicle and reaching under the passenger seat. Officers asked Rogers to exit the vehicle while a K9 officer conducted a free-air sniff. The K9 officer alerted its handler that drugs were present in the vehicle.
Officers searched the vehicle and found a loaded handgun under the passenger seat and 73.51 grams of a crystal-like substance containing methamphetamine. Rogers initially denied knowledge of the firearm and the methamphetamine, but later admitted that it was his.
Court dockets show that Rogers has a lengthy criminal history, including domestic assault, prior convictions related to methamphetamine distribution, and unlawfully possessing a firearm.
Rogers will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sapulpa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Wright prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses on the most pressing violent crime issues facing our communities. This nationwide initiative brings together federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecutors to strategically address and reduce violent crime, in collaboration with other agencies and organizations that serve communities.
Federal Jury Convicts Cuban National for Ramming ICE Vehicles in San AntonioRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A federal jury convicted a Cuban national today on two counts of destruction of government property, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on Jan. 13, Robyn Argote-Brooks, 25, of Havana, Cuba, used his vehicle to damage an SUV and a sedan, both of which were property of the United States and maintained by ICE. The amount of damage to each vehicle exceeded $1,000.
Argote-Brooks was arrested and charged via complaint with one count of destruction of government property. An indictment filed Feb. 4 added a second destruction of government property count as well as a charge of forcibly assaulting a federal officer. U.S. District Judge Fred Biery presided over the three-day jury trial.
ICE Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with assistance from ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Walker and Todd Keagle are prosecuting the case. Megan Ramirez, with the office’s Advanced Litigation Support unit, provided technical assistance to the trial team leading up to and during the trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Federal Indictment Charges Suburban Chicago Businessman with Orchestrating $4 Million Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago businessman has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly orchestrating a pair of fraud schemes that netted him more than $4 million.
An indictment unsealed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges RAED NASER with eleven counts of wire fraud and four counts of money laundering.
Naser owned a freight transport company based in Orland Park, Ill. According to the indictment, Naser engaged in two wire fraud schemes—one involving the submission of false invoices from Naser’s company for nonexistent freight shipping and the other involving bakery franchises that Naser sold to an unsuspecting buyer after fraudulently inflating their value. The money laundering charges accuse Naser of laundering the proceeds from the fraud schemes by, among other things, purchasing a Lamborghini Huracan, a BMW M8 Gran Coupe, and a Cadillac Escalade.
Naser, 41, of Crown Point, Ind., pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge M. David Weisman in federal court in Chicago. A status hearing is now set for June 10, 2026, at 9:45 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Nicholas Bucciarelli, Acting Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heidi Manschreck.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
naser_indictment.pdfDistrict of Arizona Charges 340 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from May 2, 2026, through May 8, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 340 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 143 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 177 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 18 cases against 19 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. Protecting law enforcement officers is a key part of border vigilance, and federal prosecutors also charged one defendant for assaulting a Border Patrol agent.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States v. Christian Diangelo Martinez-Espinoza. Christian Diangelo Martinez-Espinoza was charged by criminal complaint on May 4, 2026, with one count of Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person and two counts of Assault on a Federal Officer. On May 3, a U.S. Border Patrol agent initiated a traffic stop on a Honda Civic in Patagonia, Arizona. Martinez-Espinoza, the driver, initially stopped, but immediately afterward reversed the Honda into an agent’s vehicle, striking the front end of the vehicle. He then fled the scene. Agents pursued the Honda as it fled reaching speeds of approximately 100 mph. Agents then deployed a vehicle immobilization device (VID) and successfully deflated three of the tires. Martinez-Espinoza continued to travel at approximately 80 mph on the flat tires when agents successfully deployed the VID again, deflating the remaining tire. Martinez-Espinoza continued with all tires deflated for approximately eight more miles until he lost control of the vehicle, causing it to roll over and crash off the side of the road into the desert. He fled the vehicle, and agents pursued him on foot. Martinez-Espinoza then assaulted an agent, punching him in the mouth, in an effort to avoid apprehension. He was eventually taken into custody. Two passengers were located inside the crashed vehicle. One was critically injured and transported to a hospital. Both passengers were determined to be citizens of Mexico, unlawfully present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-1826MJ – Tucson]
United States v. Gregory Elisha Evans. On May 5, 2026, Gregory Elisha Evans was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of Illegal Aliens. On May 5, 2026, U.S Border Patrol agents observed a white Hyundai Genesis enter and exit a known smuggling area near the border. Agents responded to the area where the vehicle was last seen and discovered footprints belonging to two individuals originating from a wash near the international border fence. The description and direction of travel of the Genesis was sent out to nearby Border Patrol stations and local law enforcement partners. Shortly after, a deputy with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office observed the Genesis on I-10 and noticed there was an object mounted to the center of the windshield. He then conducted a traffic stop on the Genesis. While speaking with the driver, Gregory Elisha Evans, the deputy observed two passengers attempting to conceal themselves on the floorboard between the front and back seats. The passengers were wearing camouflage pants, and there was a strong body odor coming from the back seat, both indicative of individuals traveling through the desert for long periods. Border Patrol agents determined that both passengers were citizens of Mexico, unlawfully present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-06150 - Tucson]
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-072_May 8, 2026, Immigration Enforcement
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Danville Man Arrested, Charged on Numerous Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – An indictment charging a Danville, Va. man in connection with twelve felony charges related to child exploitation, including the production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), sexual enticement of minors, cyberstalking, and making threats to injure reputation with intent to extort, was unsealed today following his recent arrest in New Mexico.
In a sealed indictment returned April 9, 2026, a federal grand jury in Roanoke charged Jesus Diaz, 25, of Danville, with two counts of making extortive threats to injure the reputation of a minor, one count of distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), one count of cyberstalking of a minor, four counts of production of child sexual abuse material, and four counts of enticement of a minor.
Diaz was arrested April 16, 2026 in New Mexico. He is scheduled to make his initial court appearance in the Western District of Virginia on May 15, 2026.
According to the indictment and other court documents, in March 2024, Minor Victim 1 (MV1), then a 17-year-old female living in Idaho, reported to local law enforcement that an individual was extorting her for sexually explicit images and videos. MV1 indicated that several years earlier, when she was 14 years old, she sent nude images via social media to an individual she knew as “Xavier” and that Xavier was now threatening to send those previous pictures and videos to MV1’s family, friends and church members if MV1 didn’t continue communicating with him and send more images.
The Idaho Office of the Attorney General Criminal Division reached out to agents with the Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to assist in their investigation after they determined accounts used by “Xavier” to send threatening communications were associated with an IP address in Danville, Virginia.
Agents with HSI determined that the Danville IP address was associated with Diaz. In addition, they determined Diaz would be returning to the United States from an overseas trip via Hartfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta. Upon his arrival, law enforcement seized several digital devices from Diaz and obtained search warrants for the devices. During the resulting search, investigators found that that Diaz’s phone allegedly contained references to social media accounts used to harass and threaten MV1.
HSI subsequently investigated further. In searches of the devices and digital accounts associated with Diaz, HSI found nude and sexually explicit pictures of MV1 and at least 24 other minor females. Diaz allegedly used social media platforms to meet his victims and to solicit nude pictures and images from them. In some instances, Diaz allegedly threatened to broadcast victims’ previous images if they stopped communicating with him or refused to send more images.
First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and HSI Special Agent in Charge Eric Weindorf made the announcement.
The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case. Valuable investigative assistance was provided by the Idaho Office of the Attorney General, Criminal Division, the City of Danville Police Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The Albuquerque office of Homeland Security Investigations provided valuable assistance in the apprehension of Diaz.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Brett is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/ .
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.